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FOR THE 





BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY 
NAVY DEPARTMENT 

tUSHINeiON.D.C. 

1946 



HAVHEO 9TZ 






















TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Pages 

Introduction - Gaining a Normal Outlook on Blindness. 1 

A. Spiritual Reserves.. 1 

B. Patriotism. 2 

C. What Other Blind People Have Done,. 2 

D. Character. 2 

E. Potentialities. 2 

F. Influence on Others. 3 

G. Ambition. 3 

H. Social Agencies. 3 

I. “Don’ts.”. 3 

Chapter I. Practical Daily Living. 5 

A. Meeting People. 5 

1. Shaking Hands. 5 

2. Recognizing People. 5 

3. Putting Sighted Persons at Ease..\ 5 

B. Crossing the Street. 6 

C. Card-playing. 6 

D. Getting Attention and Service in Stores and 

Restaurants. 6 

E. How Should the Partially Blind Person Deal with 

Employers or Friends Unaware of His Handicap?. 7 

Chapter II. Personal Habits. 9 

A. The Mechanics of Eating. 9 

B. Blindisms. 11 

Chapter HI. Practical Problems of Daily Living.. I3 

A. Traveling Alone. 13 

1. Use of a Cane. 15 

2. Use of a Guide-dog. 19 

3. Use of Dark Glasses. 19 

B. Traveling with a Sighted Guide. 20 

C. Room-orientation. 20 

1. Ascertaining Location of Furniture. 20 

2. The Crderly Arrangement of Personal Belongings.. 20 

3. How to Find Articles When Dropped. 21 

D. Telling Time,. 21 

1. Watches. 21 

2. Clocks,. 22 

3. Miscellaneous. 22 

E. Handling Money. 22 

1. Banking. 22 

2. Recognition of Coins.. 23 

3. Recognition of Paper-money. 23 

4. Money-orders. 25 

F. Communication-skills. 25 

1. Handwriting. 25 

2. Braille. 25 

a. Alternatives. 27 

3. Typing. 27 

4. Dialing the Telephone. 27 

G. Reading for Recreation and Information. 28 

1. Braille.. 28 

a. Recreation. 28 

b. Information. 28 

c. Borrowing. 28 

2. Talking Book. 29 

iii 





























































H. Exercise and Sports. 29 

1. Exercise. 29 

2. Sports. 29 

Chapter IV. Vocational Outlook^. 33 

A. Introduction. 33 

Training for Jobs. 33 

B. Charting Your Interests. 33 

C. Value of Work-trails. 35 

Chapter V. Legislation and Where to Get Service.. 37 

A. Legislation,. 37 

1. G.I. Bill of Rights.;;. 37 

2. Income-tax. 37 

3. Travel.. 37 

a. On Trains. 38 

b. On Busses . 38 

c. With Dogs. 38 

4. Education. 38 

B. Where to Get Service. 38 

1 . Civilian Agencies. 39 

a. Braille-equipment. 39 

b. Schools for the Blind. 39 

c. Presses for the Blind. 39 

d. Libraries for the Blind.39 

e. Private Agencies . 39 

f. Public Agencies. 40 

2. Federal Agencies. 40 

Bibliography.. 41 


IV 
































HANDBOOK FOR THE NEWLY BLINDED 


FOREWORD 

Since the beginning of the war, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery has been cognizant of 
the special problems which it faced in the provision of medical rehabilitation and educational 
and vocational guidance services for the severely wounded casualties of this war. 

Among the group of severely wounded who have been the deep concern of the Bureau are 
the men who have lost part or all of their sight. In accordance with the President's directive, 
a comprehensive service for blinded personnel was organized. The United states Naval 
Hospital at Philadelphia was designated as the training center for blinded personnel of the 
United States Navy and Marine Corps and a staff of specialists was assembled to carry on the 
program of training and readjustment for the newly blinded men. A cooperative arrangement 
was made with The New York Institute for the Education of the Blin^in New York City for 
assistance in counseling and guiding the newly blinded and in aiding in the training of staff. 
The best thinking and leadership in the field of services to the blind was consulted and utilized 
in giving to these men every possible assistance in their social adjustment. 

This Manual, which is the joint product of the staff of the United States Naval Hospital in 
Philadelphia and the staff of The New York Institute for the Education of the Blind in New York 
City, is one of the many contributions which interested teachers and workers have made to our 
blinded personnel. The Manual was designed as a practical guide for the blind man himself as 
he faces the many new problems of living. It likewise will be of service to members of his 
family, who, if they are sincere in their desire to be of real help, may make a substantial con¬ 
tribution to the man's permanent recovery to normal productive living. 













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INTRODUCTION 

GAINING A NORMAL OUTLOOK ON BLINDNESS 

“I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, 

‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the un- 
Imown/ And he replied, ‘Go out into the darkness, 
and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall 
be to you better than light, and safer than a known 
way/ ’’ 

Consciously or unconsciously, a fighting man develops a philosophy of life to account for the 
things that happen to him. Many blinded veterans admit that they feel fortunate to have escaped 
with their lives, even though they have lost the use of their eyes. Nevertheless, the question of 
Why? keeps arising. 

The answer to this question is bound up with the whole problem of human suffering. Fighting 
men know the place of suffering in human life because they have so much of it and see so much 
of it. Suffering is a fact that we must all face at some time or other. “Adversity has dates for 
us all.’’ Some people know suffering all the time. The question “ Why must we suffer ? ” is an 
age-old problem. Pain, suffering, evil, and blindness plunge many into doubt and fe'ar. The 
first reaction to blindness may be to sink into an abyss of despair. Yet it is possible to arrive 
at a positive attitude which does justice to the situation, giving encouragement to the present, 
and affording hope for the future. 

In time of trouble the thoughts of men turn with deepening trust to the One Source of ever¬ 
present help. A sound philosophy for a blind man must be based upon belief in God and in the 
immortality of the soul. He recognizes the real evils and tragedies of human existence, and yet, 
with religious faith, he dares to face the future with a sane optimism, determined to mitigate 
the evils and ameliorate the conditions of human life in all its aspects. 

You have fought for freedom on the battlefields of the world. In the age-old struggle of 
humanity from darkness up to light, it has been the physically handicapped who have paid the 
price of human freedom. God has granted His children a large measure of freedom in order 
that, through choice and effort, they may develop in His image. To the end that these values 
of moral and spiritual character may be achieved, free will on man’s part is necessary. But 
it is upon the exercise of that free will that mistakes happen and accidents occur. So far as 
mankind exercises free will, mistakes and accidents are inevitable; and tliose who suffer as a 
result are paying the price of freedom and of the values which flow from it. 

Only when life is regarded as wobth living can it be truly lived as it should be. A wise 
philosopher once said: “Thoughtful men have been driven to call life an enigma but few have 
been willing to curse it as folly or fraud;’ it has too much meaning, shows too much purpose for 
that.” 

It is clear that the world is not a Pullman car fitted up with all comforts and conveniences 
to promote an enjoyable, carefree, pleasurable journey through life. Nor is it the place for the 
distributing of unearned pleasures and the guananteeing of happiness either according to merit 
or otherwise. But is does provide opportunities for developing in personality, capacities for 
growth, and the determination to conquer despite difficulties. The opportunity to make the best 
of things is held out, not only to the most favored, but also to the handicapped. 


A. SPIRITUAL RESERVES 

The first step in making the best of things is to call upon your spiritual reserves. Many a 
blinded veteran has testified that, were it not for the recollection of the comforting and stimu¬ 
lating scriptural passages learned in childhood, he would never have been able to survive. ‘"‘^The 
Lord is with me, I shall not fear” - what a reserve of faith in thatl “The Lord is my shepherd, 

I shall not want” - what a reserve of hope in thatl “The Lord is my fortress and shelter” what 
a reserve of comfort in thatl Reverting to a military metaphor, it is religion which sounds 
the bugle for the assembly of reserves. 

685482 0 - 46 -2 


1 














Service men of all faiths will agree with Rabbi Joseph Lookstein when he says; “Religion 
does even more. It provides the reserves. It is the granary in which is stored up the sustaining 
spiritual nourishment for men to use when there is hunger in the land. It is the bottomless well 
from which thirsty humanity can drink. Within its sanctuaries there is faith in the ultimate 
destiny of the world. At its holy shrines there burns the inextinguishable flame of hope. Out of 
its sacred literature come endless messages of guidance and inspiration." 

From the religious standpoint, suffering may contribute to the eternal salvation of the soul. 
As Father Francis Spirago said long ago: “The courage of a soldier displays itself not in peace 
but in war. There is no good work that does not meet with obstacles, no virtue that does not have 
to fight and struggle. Toil strengthens the body, suffering strengthens the soul. As the gold leaf 
is spread out by the blows of the hammer, so our love of God is extended by suffering. Suffering 
also makes us humble, deepens the earnestness of our prayers, and increases our gratitude to 
God;for the loss of health and of other gifts of God makes us value what we have lost. The cour¬ 
ageous man does not wait for suffering but goes boldly forth to meet it. The perfect do not ask 
God that they be free from suffering; they value it as highly as men of the world value riches and 
gold and precious stones." 


B. PATRIOTISM 

Perhaps your second inspiration in adapting yourself to the circumstances will come from 
your sense of patriotism. It will tell you that the handicap was incurred in the discharge of your 
patriotic duty. You may accordingly rely on it that a grateful nation is willing and eager to show 
its appreciation. 


C. WHAT OTHER BLIND PEOPLE HAVE DONE 

In the third place^ there is very solid comfort to be derived from the way in which other 
blind people have faced their handicap. Their cheerful and normal outlook augurs well for the 
attainment of the same spirit in your case. Others have done it; so can you. Visit some school 
for the blind and observe the happiness of its residents. Go to some workshop for the blind and 
note the contented labor of those who are by choice self-supporting. Find out about the many 
varieties of industrial positions capably filled by the blind side by side with sighted employees. 
Consider the large number of blind persons who have become successful in professional and 
commercial life. All have found happiness through victory over a disability. 

There is real encouragement in the pages of Mr. Robinson Pierce’s book “It Was Not My 
Own Idea." Or you can imbibe optimism from Mr. Joseph F. Clunk’s “Open Letter to My Newly 
Blinded Friend in the Armed Forces." These are but two of many personal works on problems 
of adjustment of the blind. 

After reading of such examples of courage, you may care to keep a diary of your own 
experiences and in time publish them for the benefit of others. 


D. CHARACTER 

Another factor in your favor is the moral fiber of American men. The principles which you 
exemplify as an American mean that you will ask to return to the simple and sincere home life 
typical of our nation. You cherish high ideals of character exemplified by your conduct in daily 
living and in service to others. Such ideals are vibrant with faith and you must cling to them as 
before. When you get home, you will remember that you are a man of principle and you will 
insist on living as one. 


E. POTENTIALITIES 

The consciousness of your present assets will enable you to decide what you intend to do. As 
a combatant you could give and take; as a civilian you still can. In the enjoyment of the other 
senses you can, for example, converse with your loved ones, listen to music, take pleasure in 


2 



food, and make good use of your hands. Your mental powers are intact and nobody can ever take 
away from you that which already you know. If you wish to continue your pursuit of knowledge, 
there is the radio, the Talking Book, and Braille as aids. In dealing with the sighted, your past 
stock of visual images will aid you when references are made to such matters as color or 
beauty, and consequently it will do away with much embarrassment as well. 

An analysis of your own potentialities will aid in constructive planning through a positive 
attitude toward your disability. You will find that difficulties become an inconvenience rather 
than a handicap, that new interests will develop, and that a seeming defect can be turned into 
an asset. You will learn to do the same things by means of a new technique, but no apology 
will be needed. 


F. INFLUENCE ON OTHERS 

Your blindness will be like a developing agent in bringing out the best in others. 

The good will of the public is ready and waiting to be drawn on by you. One of the finest 
things about human nature is an instantaneous response of sympathy for misfortunes of any 
kind. Humanitarian instincts make people want to help others directly if they can, or indirectly 
at any rate. Blindness is one of the handicaps where they wish to give direct help, perhaps 
because it is within their power to imagine to some extent what is involved by blindness, as 
opposed to the loss of taste or hearing. 

Sympathy, then, will be the first emotion that you will arouse in others. Respect and 
personal esteem will follow. 


G. AMBITION 

The urge to succeed will be a potent force in shaping your attitude. The most successful 
blind people are those so interested in their respective fields (politics, science, radio, philos¬ 
ophy) that the sighted person thinks of his accomplishments rather than of his handicap. Your 
main task is therefore to find something (if you have not already done so) to absorb your 
interest and stimulate you to activity; something that will enable you to maintain contact with 
old friends and to make new ones. If your interests are wide and your personality is pleasing, 
you will be a welcome member of any group and inspire loyalty and affection. Occasionally you 
will be undecided as to your ambition, especially if blindness comes when you are young and 
you have consequently not yet formed your tastes. Eventually you will settle on something 
suited to your own peculiar needs in a changed world. In the final analysis, alertness and the 
desire for independence will help you most when you make the multitude of readjustments 
required by your special condition. 


H. SOCIAL AGENCIES 

Another element that should count with you in establishing your viewpoint involves very 
practical matters When you were a fighting man you experienced a great exhilaration through 
the knowledge that the other men of your outfit were backing you up. In your present crisis you 
have every reason to count on the support of new friends, who will be found in the social 
agencies handling services available to you as a veteran and as a civilian. Familiarize your¬ 
self with such resources in your community, in your state, and in your country as a whole. A 
partial list is appended on pages .37-40 of chapter V for your vonvenience. 


I. “DCN’TS;’’ 

In contrast to the previous suggestions as to things to do, there are some suggestions as to 
what to avoid. Cne is that you should not get into a frame of mind where you spend your time 
feeling sorry for yourself. The other is that you should recognize your limitations. 


3 






The second will be by far the harder to follow, and you will have to muster all your 
courage to face the fact that certain things will be denied you. Decide for yourself just what 
those things are in your case. The contented blind man is the one who frankly admits that he is 
a blind man and cannot do the impossible. 


4 


i: CHAPTER 1 .- PRACTICAL DAILY LIVING 

■ ' A. MEETING PEOPLE 

1. Shaking Hands 

In meeting friends and in making acquaintances, you should cultivate poise, so that you may 
conduct yourself with ease and naturalness of manner. Perhaps, in common with other blinded 
veterans, you have wondered what to do about shaking hands. 

The custom of shaking hands seems to be on the wane, particularly in meeting ladies . If, 
therefore, you are being presented to a lady, just bow or nod and say “How do you do.’’ If it is 
a man to whom you are being introduced, shaking hands is optional. If you have been in the 
habit of shaking hands with men, be natural and do so now. Extend yqur hand in greeting, even 
if the gesture should be overlooked or awkwardly received. It will be much less embarrassing 
to withdraw your hand unobtrusively than to have someone reach over and take hold of it (as is 
frequently the case) because he attributes your apparent lack of initiative to your sightlessness, 
which should in no way be held responsible. In either case, try to avoid stilted remarks. It is 
safer to adhere to the conventional “I am happy to know you.” If you persevere in doing the 
normal thing despite lack of vision, people will come to treat you as they treat others. 


2. Recognizing People 

^ One of the failings of sighted people in dealing with the blind person is that they often ask 
him to'guess who is speaking instead of identifying themselves. If you meet someone whom you 
ought to recognize but whom you fail to place immediately, confess your predicament frankly 
and try not to let it arouse feelings of sensitiveness within you. Any such sensitiveness, which 
^ is really your greatest handicap, can be cured by taking stock of your inner resources, the 
(^'forces and materials at your disposal. You have intelligence, imagination, willpower, and a 
capacity for practice. With all these you should be able to rise above failure to recognize a 
familiar friend because you cannot see him, and because you have not yet developed voice- 
• consciousness. The latter will come in time. 


3. Putting Sighted Persons at Ease 

One of the most important factors in achieving normal relationships is that of putting 
sighted persons at ease. It is difficult to convince some people that blindness does not alter 
personality; it is therefore your obligation to prove by your own example that no such change 
occurs. 

When in the company of others you may find yourself referred to in the third person and 
not addressed directly, as when someone asks “Does he take sugar in his coffee?” There is 
no need to become offended, however. Pick up the conversation on your own account and 
answer any question which may have been directed to another concerning you by speaking for 
yourself. For example, you might reply to the above query by saying “One spoonful, please.” 

Keep well informed so that you may discuss timely topics. Thus you will dispel the 
apparent fear that some people have of addressing a blind person directly. 

When traveling in a crowded conveyance, you will attract much less attention by accepting 
a seat which is offered than by refusing it. Refusal may make a kindly disposed fellow- 
traveler very uncomfortable, causing him to feel that he has injured your pride. However, if 
you prefer to remain standing, be very courteous in your refusal. 

Make it your aim to remove all barriers which might hinder the free and unembarrassed 
actions of those about you. When assistance of any kind is offered you, be gracious in 
accepting or declining it, for sighted people are often given a very erroneous impression of 
a blind person because of rebuffs received when offering to lend a helping hand. You will meet 
with crudities in this connection, to be sure; but remember that it is the mark of a gentleman 
to be patient and understanding. Although you may be perfectly capable of performing an act 
unaided, do not rudely spurn a proffered service; instead, graciously demonstrate your ability 
to do things for yourself. 


5 









B. CROSSING THE STREET 


Suggestions for traveling alone are given in another chapter, with detailed instructions for 
crossing the street. Here, therefore, ]ust a few generalities will be noted. 

Where traffic is heavy and moving rapidly, it is always best if alone to pause long enough 
at a crossing to indicate that you would welcome assistance. Do not reject the kindly offer of 
a sighted pedestrian to accompany you to the opposite side of the street. A surly attitude on 
your part might cause the person offering you his help to refrain from helping others in the 
future. Sighted people often encounter this sort of reaction on the part of the blind and, through 
it, are given a very wrong impression. If you have a guide-dog it is necessary for you to have 
thorough confidence in the animal's ability to get you safely across the street, and you should 
follow the instructions received during your training period. But if, even under such condi¬ 
tions, help is given, handle the situation with consideration for your would-be benefactor. 


C. CARD PLAYING 

Ability to play a good game of cards will do much toward establishing social contacts. You 
will use an ordinary deck that has been marked with Braille characters to indicate the suit and 
the value of each card. If you are unable to procure the specially prepared variety, do your 
own marking by placing the symbols on opposite corners of each card with the dots on the face- 
side. 

Here is another opportimity to place sighted people at ease. Ask as few concessions as 
possible, and you will find that the other players will think nothing of your inability to see the 
cards. Persistent practice will develop facility in handling the cards and overcome any 
tendency to retard the game. Though the rule of the game may be for players not to pick up 
the cards until the entire hand has been dealt, there is no reason why you should not be 
permitted to begin arranging your cards during the process of dealing so that you may be 
ready to start the game as soon as the others do and thus not delay them unnecessarily. 
Arrange your cards in logical order, holding the suits between the fingers of the left hand, 
preferably under the table, thus preventing the possibility of unwittingly displaying your hand 
to the sighted players. Such players have no objection whatever to calling out the cards being 
played, so that you may follow the game as closely as they do themselves, but it is necessary 
for you to concentrate carefully in order to keep the game as a whole in mind. This may mean 
refraining from undue conversation, even though others encourage you to chat with them; but 
it is worth it, for keenness in playing will lead to your being sought after as a valued member 
of a card group. 

D. GETTING ATTENTION AND SERVICE IN STORES AND RESTAURANTS 

There are some situations which you may wish to avoid; but, where necessity demands it, 
there is no good reason for evading the issue, especially if you desire thorough independence 
of action. Among these is the problem of getting attention and service in stores and restau¬ 
rants. 

On entering a store, walk cautiously in the direction where you have detected the sound of 
voices; when you have reached the counter you will soon discover the location of one of the 
clerks. You are likely to receive prompt attention; but, if this is not the case, ask to be 
served in your proper turn. Avoid demanding help, as other purchasers may be ahead of you; 
rather ask in a friendly way for service. Do not become annoyed or self-conscious if you find 
yourself mistaken for one asking alms, for it is after all far better to meet such a situation 
with dignity, quietly announcing that you have come to make a purchase, then to rush from the 
store in a rage, vowing never to return. If your mission requires a visit to a department 
store, it is advisable to go accompanied by a sighted companion. 

Getting service in restuarants presents a variety of circumstances. In relatively simple 
situations, as in frequenting the counter of a quick-lunch restaurant, if you enter alone and 
move slowly, it will be apparent that you are blind. After you have gone in a number of times 
you will find that you can enter and leave without assistance. 


6 



In going unaccompanied to a restaurant providing nothing but table-service, you should be 
prepared for two obstacles at the very entrance. One is the revolving door, and the other is 
the partition or shield of glass or wood erected to screen patrons from drafts. When dining 
out formally, therefore, you had better advance only a few steps after entering and then 
proceed exactly as the sighted are advised to by the best authorities on etiquette. There may 
be an attendant to check your hat and coat. There will certainly be a hostess or a waiter, and 
at any rate someone will conduct you to a table. Ascertain whether or not your guide is a 
waiter (or waitress); if the guide is not, ask for the services of a waiter. Explain to the waiter 
that you would like to have the menu read to you and, if your order includes food which 
requires cutting and you are hesitant about using a knife, have no qualms about requesting that 
such service be rendered. This and other assistance throughout the meal may be obtained 
very readily, and can be recognized by means of a gratuity a little in excess of the ordinary 
amount. Under such circumstances you may feel free to ask to be conducted to the door on 
the way out, stopping at the proper place en route to pay for the meal if there is a cashier. 

The presence of a companion would of course m^e the above suggestions unnecessary . 
Let us assume that you have invited a sighted girl to have luncheon or dinner with you. She 
can help you in many unobtrusive ways without offending your sense of independence. Let her 
read you the bill of fare, but you be the one to give the orders to the waiter and to pay the 
check. She can help you by telling you where the food is on the plate by the “clock-method’’ 
(the meat at 6 o’clock, the relish at 9, the vegetable at 3, and so forth. Or again, by some 
conversational remark, she can indicate where the various dishes are on the table. 

You might like to know that some blind men and women have given thought to the actual 
types of food which are easy to consume in public, involving no complications. In the matter 
of sandwiches they choose liverwurst or hamburger as opposed to chicken-salad. Forvege- 
ables they turn to mashed potatoes or squash instead of peas or broccoli. They order meat- 
balls or scallops, which as generally served are just right for individual bites, instead of chops 
or fish containing bones. Their favorite desserts are ice-cream and cup-cakes instead of pie 
and fruit containing pits. 

Habits and skills in eating are discussed elsewhere in greater detail. 


E. HOW THE PARTIALLY BLIND SHOULD DEAL WITH EMPLOYER OR FRIENDS 

UNAWARE OF HIS HANDICAP 

If your vision has been impaired merely to a degree where you are considered partially 
blind, you will be interested in the following paragraphs included for just such cases as yours. 

As we consider the matter of getting along with people in the sighted world, one of the 
first obstacles to be overcome is sensitiveness. It is a greater handicap than any physical 
disability. Sensitiveness makes one self-depreciative, ultimately leading him to shrink from 
society; an attitude which is a serious mistake. Every man on earth has limitations of some 
kind, and to free the mind of handicap-consciousness is the first step in the right direction. 

It is necessary that we rid ourselves of everything, which in the slightest degree, retards our 
progress. 

People classified as having useful vision or being partially blind often'suffer more from 
the standpoint of sensitiveness than do those who are totally blind. Their false pride makes 
them resort to every conceivable means of disguising their handicap. This is a most unwise 
procedure, for it is impossible to conceal certain difficulties occasioned by lack of normal 
vision. When an individual thinks that he is deceiving others, though in reality he alone is the 
one being deceived, embarrassing and confusing situations arise. There are those who go to 
the extreme of pretending to see more than they really can see, even among their closet 
friends, never realizing that they are making themselves objects of greater pity than they would, 
if they had the courage to be perfectly frank about their handicap. 

The best advice that can be given to one who finds himself hampered more by sensitiveness 
than by imperfect vision is to recognize this fact honestly, and therefore to conquer sensitive¬ 
ness. If it is the root of your difficulty, do not consider it a calamity, for sensitiveness can be 
a positive advantage if properly disciplined. All superior people, masters in their way, have 
fine sensitive natures. If being sensitive has made you timid in company, make yourself go 
into society, no matter how it hurts. Inure yourself to the “pain,” and you will get over it. 


7 




If people with whom you are less intimately associated do not seem to recognize that you 
have impaired vision, it is far better to acquaint them with the fact when at all necessary than 
to risk future embarrassment. This is especially advisable in dealing with an employer, for 
an attempt at deception may cost you your position when the handicap is discovered, not so 
much because of the handicap itself as because you have practised the deception. It is only 
fair that he should be supplied with an ophthalmologist’s record of the degree of your vision. 

How much simpler it is not to be repressed concerning a condition over which you have no 
control, and which should in no way create in you a sense of inferiority 1 There is much to be 
gained by a frank disclosure of your limitation. As a result of obtaining this information, 
your employer is likely to be more understanding; his assignments will be governed by your 
ability to carry them out independently; or he will afford you the assistance which you may re¬ 
quire in certain phases of the work. 

The conquest of sensitiveness is, then, the keynote to success in getting along with people 
in the sighted world. Once achieved, it will bring you a sense of pride and victory. 


8 




CHAPTER II-PERSONAL HABITS 

A. THE MECHANICS OF EATING 

The matter of feeding oneself has long been of concern to the blind. The various factors 
which enter into the mechanics of eating are in some instances so simple that they have been 
overlooked in many lists of suggestions. Let us take the good and bad features item by item. 

In your own case, the tradition of the Navy demands that things be done with polish. 

By extension, your early experience plus this training will have left you with splendid “con¬ 
ditioned reflexes'' as to reaching for food and cutlery. That is, you are starting with a good 
“muscle-memory" or sense of reach. Your muscles know just how to flex to pick up a glass 
of water, and your arm knows-how far to reach for a cup of coffee at your right. 

Posture itself is exceedingly important. You will remember having been taught at home to 
sit up straight, to keep your arms off the table, and to raise the food to your mouth instead of 
lowering your mouth to the food. Try to preserve that good posture and technique! 

What is perhaps the most essential factor in cutting food and conveying it to the mouth is the 
presence of mechanical ability. 

The knowledge of how a table is set is part of the key to success. Cutlery is usually placed 
in the order in which it is to be used, with spoons and knife on your right, and forks on your 
left. The glass or goblet for water is on your right, just beyond the tip of your knife. The plate 
for bread and butter is on yoar left, at the prongs of your fork. Salad (if served with the main 
course) or a vegetable (such as stewed tomatoes) in a separate dish is placed in the middle. If 
your place is set this way consistently, you will never reach for a piece of bread and knock over 
a glass of water. Memory will help you greatly on this occasion, as on so many others. 

It is generally agreed that a small piece of bread is efficient as a “pusher" or “slide-rule." 
With it you can prevent food from slipping off or around the plate, and also tell when your plate 
is empty. 

Just as habits carried over from earlier days will help you now, so the formation of one 
particular new habit will prove worth the effort. At home ask to be given the same seat at the 
table, so that you may orient yourself efficiently. Then you will know where you are seated in 
relation to the sugar and creamer, pepper and salt, pitcher of water, and so forth. 

When it comes to the actual process of cutting food and using the fork to convey it to the 
mouth, many people have’ recommended the method used in England and on the continent of 
Europe. There the knife is held in the right hand and the fork in the left hand, but the fork is 
not transferred to the right hand when raising food to the mouth. This system works well for 
those who have long been familiar with it, for those who are left-handed, and for those who are 
ambidextrous, but it is not always an easy one for right-handed people to adopt. 

The types of food which the blind have reported as difficult to eat are soup (both thick and 
* thin), plain lettace-salad (uncut), thick meat (especially when containing bones), fish in which 
small bones are present, chicken, lobster, baked potatoes, pie, and fruit with pits in it. 

Since the problem of taking soup neatly is not a new one, you might benefit from the advice 
given by other blind people. It has been found by experience that the spoon should be tilted over 
the bowl a little each time before being raised to the mouth, thanks to which maneuver the spoon 
could not be overfuH and no soup need be spilled. 

When a leaf of lettuce lies more or less flat on a plate, or when a segment of a head of 
lettuce is served, the blind person is confronted with a real problem. The presence of French 
dressing or Russian dressing or mayonnaise on top only makes the salad more slippery. If a 
salad-fork is available the lettuce can sometimes be cut as if it were a piece of pie without too 
much difficulty. If only the regular fork is at hand, the cutting is much harder. It is probably 
safest to ask that the lettuce be thoroughly shredded for you. If a sighted person fails to cut the 
lettuce all the way through, you may intend to pick up a single piece but find that you have 
pieces strung together. 

In the cutting of meat or fish containing no bones, you might care to adopt the technique 
taught in one of our hospitals for blinded veterans. It is patterned after the continental mode of 
retaining the fork in the left hand and is divided into seven steps; 

1. The veteran moves the knife and fork lightly over the piece and around its edges, 
lining the piece up in such a way that its length is sidewise to him. 

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2. With the prongs of the fork pointed down, he moves the fork to the extreme left edge 
of the piece. 

3. He places the back of the knife flat against the tines of the fork and then, by turning 
the knife upright, has the cutting edge about 1/2 inch to the right, exactly in position for the 
correct width of the strip to be cut. 

4. While holding the’piece steady with the knife, he moves the fork to the right until it 
touches the knife. 

5. He cuts through until he hears the knife strike the plate, and continues cutting if the 
strip has not been severed at all points. 

6 . He pulls the cut piece away and eats it without further ado (leaving the fork in the 
left hand), unless it is too long. If the piece is too long he simply bisects the long strip already, 
impaled on the fork, eating first the piece on the fork. By keeping the knife in place he easily 
finds the other half of the strip. 

7. He repeats the process until all the meat or fish has been cut and eaten, of course 
helping himself to vegetables in between. 

When one large bone is present in a piece of meat or fish, you can locate it by a light tap 
with the knife. The bone may be removed by cutting around it and depositing it upon the edge of 
your plate. Then cut up the remainder of the chop, steak, or slice of fish as just out-lined 

The presence of many small bones in fish is vexing to anyone. The only course seems to be 
the use of the fork (in the right hand) to eliminate the bones and push them to one side, and the 
use of a piece of bread or roll (in the left hand) to prevent slipping. After that you can usually 
detach a small piece of fish with the fork alone, continuing in this manner until it is gone. 

If fried chicken is served on an informal occasion (a picnic, for example), it is of course all 
right to pick it up in your hands. But, in eating formally, etiquette demands that the knife and 
fork be used. Here you would be wise to ask for the drumstick (dark meat) or breast (white 
meat), in order to have a piece containing few if any bones. 

Boiled or broiled lobster should be split in two and at least partly cracked before being 
brought to the table. If this has been done, the small fork accompanying it should enable you to 
have access to most of the meat. 

In the case of a baked potato the tough skin constitutes the chief obstacle. One way to cut 
through it without fatigue or accidents is to use a knife served especially with steak or chops. 

The two kinds of pie which render cutting and eating difficult are pie that is not flaky and pie 
that contains a large amount of juice. It is therefore better to ask someone else to cut the non 
flaky variety, and to avoid ordering the “runny” variety. 

Preserved fruit containing pits (cherries, for instance) is the last “pest” on the list. One 
mode of attacking the problem is to eat the juice first and then to use a teaspoon to remove the 
pit or stone before turning to the fruit proper. 

If for any reason you are not wearing a vest and coat while eating, watch that your tie does 
not get into your food and even into your mouth; the tie could be tucked in the shirt, or a tie- 
clasp could be worn. 

Your fork can be used inconspicuously to move food toward the center of your plate, making 
eating easier and avoiding pushing anything off the plate. 

You can also feel beyond your plate in an unobstruive way to see if anything would be upset 
by moving your plate back, as in making way for dessert. 

Blind people who are meticulous about their table manners feel gently around the table to 
make sure that things are in place: knife and spoons at right; glass of water or milk at tip of 
knife; forks at left; plate for bread and butter at tip of fork; napkin at left of fork: cup of coffee 
or cocoa or tea at right of spoons; salad just beyond plate if room , or if not at left of fork. They 
prefer leaving the last bits of food to using the fingers to pile them on the fork. When they use a 
piece of bread to guide food onto the fork they do so inconspicuously. They do not hesitate to ask 
for extra help in unfamiliar surroundings where their handicap may not be known or where their 
difficulty with one particular dish may not be sensed; such help is vital when a peach is served, 
whole as dessert, and so forth. 


B. BLINDISMS 

This term has been coined to denote the awkward gestures or traits of character which seem 
to set the blind apart from other handicapped people. These movements or characteristics are 


11 






more apt to be found, if found at all, in those who have long been blind instead of those who be¬ 
come blind in adult life. 

In your case they are therefore mentioned as something to avoid, not as something to 
correct. You have had the advantage of acquiring natural gestures by copying those of your 
family as you were growing up, and you should continue using them. It may be well to note that 
these mannerisms affect the hands and head chiefly, and the feet occasionally. For example, the 
hands are allowed to fidget (being rubbed together, clasped and unclasped incessantly, passed 
over objects not under special examination), while the head is swayed back and forth or dropped 
on the chest. The commonest fault of locomotion is shuffling the feet or its opposite, lifting the 
feet too high at each step; a less usual blindism here is a bouncing walk, as if there were 
springs in the shoes. At times thewholebody is made to sway back and forth. All such motions, 
you will agree, make their victim conspicuous and call attention to a handicap that might oliier- 
wise go unnoticed in public. 

The traits of character are of course a question of cause and effect. A person who does not 
see is more apt to say to a person entering a room, “Who is it? ’’ Again, a blind person seems 
to expect a sighted person to have eyes in the back of his head or to see around corners. Or one 
who has led a fairly cloistered life and is therefore unfamiliar with certain social usages is 
prone to make frequent use of surnames in public (sometimes to the embarrassment of the 
sighted, who do not like their names shouted out in public), or to drop in on people without finding 
out first if it is convenient. Personalities seem to enter more largely into the life of the 
congenitally blind, and when a sighted person makes an impersonal quotation (“Someone was 
telling me...”) he is almost sure to be asked “Who was it?” 

We all want to live on good terms with our fellow-creatures, and to do so we must often be 
told what offends. 


\ 


12 


I CHAPTER III - PRACTICAL PROBLEMS OF DAILY LIVING 

B A. TRAVELING ALONE 

There are two schools of thought as to the use of a cane, a guide-dog, and dark glasses, 
i Some blind people consider one or all indispensable, while others reject all three because they 

I ’ are rendered conspicuous by them. You will have to decide for yourself what course to pursue. 

1 , Assuming that you wish to keep an open mind on the subject, here are gome arguments of the 

P sightless who travel alone and like it. 

If Every ability used by the recently blinded in finding their way alone was always part of their 

physical makeup prior to the loss of sight. For example, muscle-calculations or muscle- 

j i ‘ judgments (employed in driving a car, in dancing gracefully, in walking carefully over an icy sur¬ 

face), which were never used consciously in finding the way, are used by the newly blinded in 
walking straight without the aid of a particular guide or “beacon.’’ Thus muscle-memory, 
utilized by the seeing in such skills as operating the typewriter or playing the piano without re- 
I course to the eyes in locating the keys, is turned to good account by the non-sighted in order to 
learn right and left turns and approximate distances in places frequently traversed by them. The 
sense of hearing, which tells seeing persons where to look, often tells the sightless where to go 
or.where not to go. The sense of smell indicates to the latter the direction of a grocery store, a 
drug store, or a shoe store. The sensitive soles of the feet enable the blind to notice and remem¬ 
ber rough or smooth spots in the pavement, or a slight rise or drop; such things serve as land- 
V marks or clues in helping them to get their bearings. 

1 So far as mental helps are concerned, they will vary with the place of residence. Two 

examples will suffice to illustrate travel in a small community and travel in a metropolis. One 
I kind is obtaining from others a verbal description of the neighborhood, with emphasis on land- 
! I marks. Another is co'unting the number of stops after a train leaves a tunnel, or the number of 
* stops after the door has opened on a certain side. 

^ Learning how to find your way alone is net going to be a superhuman task. You are simply 
going to extend the functions of the abilities which you have been using all the time for various 

{ purposes, so that they will now act as powers or tools of orientation. When functioning properly 
and jointly, these abilities combine to form a sum total known as “a good sense of direction.” 

2 Development of the sense of direction begins with the first systematic attempt to find your way 
; around without the use of the eyes. Persistent, individual effort is the key to the possession of a 

If* good sense of direction; and anyone who says “l can’t” is in a sense quite right. You can’t - un- 

" y less you try. 

Persons who have been blind for years avoid obstacles with surprising ease. Many persons 
who do not see find that they are able to notice obstacles (such as a wall, a tree, a pole, or a 
parked automobile when the motor is not running) as “something looming up in space.” That is, 
things seem to be “sensed” a certain distance away from the face, from very close to about 50 
feet away, according to the size and nature of the object and other conditions. This ability is 
best explained as the rapid, sometimes subconscious, interpretation of combinations of sensa- 
I tions, which serve as cues warning of possible danger. Among these cues which give warning of 
the presence of obstacles are echoes, changes in temperature, odors, currents of air, and 
changes in' atmospheric pressure. The chief organ for tlie reception of these sensations is the 
ear; there are also tiny nerve endings in the face which are sensitive to changes in temperature 
and air pressure. Combinations of these sensations may cause the contraction of muscles and 
changes in muscle-tone and muscular reactions. This sensitivity of the face and muscles to 
changes in the surroimdings is sometimes spoken of as the “facial sense” or the “muscle- 
sense.” In medical literature the accepted terms aie orientation in space or perseption of space. 

A warning is necessary here. Never let anyone mislead you into thinking that you have “fa¬ 
cial vision.” It is obviously absurd to suppose that you can see anything with your face. The 
sensitivity of the face and muscles to stimuli caused by obstacles comes only after considerable 
experience and training. And even then you will not notice these sensations unless you are giving 
them your undivided attention. If you are walking down the street thinking about something else, 
you cannot expect your “facial sense,” as it has been called, to steer you around a lamp-post, a 
projecting doorstep or curbstone, or a firehydrant. This so-called “obstacle-sense” is seldom, 
able to locate an object precisely, but it still serves the useful purpose of warning you to slow 
your pace and look about you, with your cane. Some blind persons have training their hearing 


13 





so that they can tell by clapping the hands or snapping the fingers, whether there is an object in 
the immediate vicinity. ' The changing echo of footfalls may also be noticed in the presence of 
walls or buildings which are being approached. 

Since there is no better whetstone for any ability than putting it to work, you will find that 
the quickest way to awaken your awareness in sensing the presence of obstacles will be to try 
to move about by yourself as much as possible. In doing this, always walk with good, relaxed 
posture. At the same time you will have to be alert to anything that may help or hinder you, 
much as a sighted person reclines in an easy chair but does not miss anything that is going on 
around him. As you come to a large object (a wall, for instance), try to notice whether there is 
any difference in the feeling about your face when you stand some distance from it (10 or 15 
feet) and when you stand close to it. Practise distinguishing sounds in the same way. It is quite 
likely that you will notice no difference at first, but the advantages of an awakened awareness to 
obstacles through the use of all your senses are too rich a prize to be given up because of a 
number of seemingly unsuccessful attempts. 

You will succeed more quickly in awakening the sense if you make a conscious effort to do so. 
Have someone help you in selecting a safe, open, and quiet place outdoors with a wall or high 
fence nearby, where you may walk to and fro at leisure, trying to “sense’’ the wall or fence as 
ycu approach it. Do not discard the cane when doing this. Your first experience of being aware 
of “something” looming up out in space may be so vague that you will think that you have just 
imagined the sensing of something near at hand. As the experience recurs however, you will 
be convinced that it is nothing imagined but something quite real and meaningful. You will learn 
through practice how to enjoy the advantages of this power of orientation. 

Much value attaches to distinct sounds as clues in ascertaining directions, identifying places, 
and avoiding danger. If you are walking along looking for a restaurant, the clink of glasses and 
dishes and the smell of food will direct you to it. The grinding noise of a power drill plus the 
pounding of hammers and the noise of other tools will warn you to slow down and use your cane 
cautiously, as you are approaching construction work of some kind, which usually means ob¬ 
stacles on the sidewalk to be sidestepped. You can often use the sound of people’s footfalls to 
find your way into or out of trains and buses. The clinking or dropping of coins will guide you to 
the box or slot for coins. When you make use of the same means of conveyance in reaching a 
customary destination, your ear will be quick to pick up clues through which you will be able to 
tell that you have arrived, or are about to arrive, at the stop that you want. Some examples of 
such clues would be the shrill scraping of wheels on the tracks just before your station, or the 
bumping noise of wheels going over a switch, or a relatively less' noisy spot on the track 
You will be able to pick out other landmarks as well, such as a sharp curve or a slight ascent or 
descent. A “sense of distance” will also help to give you a practical perspective of fre¬ 
quently traveled route. When you are going to a new destination, or when you are not able to find 
any reliable clue, the driver or conductor is always glad, at your request, to let you off at your 
stop. This seems the right place to note that, when boarding a vehicle, it is safest to ascertain 
from the driver or conductor just what bus or train you have taken (No. 4 bus; Forest Park 
train); passengers often give unreliable information. 

It is from the sum-total of information which you gather through the various tools used for 
orientation that you acquire a practical perspective of each place. Let us say, for example, that 
you are coming out of the house into which you have just moved. You turn to the left and walk to 
the corner. As you approach the curb, something looms up at your left. This information is 
sufficient to prevent a bump, but not ta identify the object. You stop at the curb because your ear 
tells you that the traffic is not in your favor. Suddenly you hear a few soft clicks coming out of 
the object at your left, and immediately the flow of traffic shifts in your favor. “Ah,” you 
conclude, “this object is the traffic-light tower.” You may discover that your house is the third 
one with a projecting doorstep on the block (the buildings being at your right), or one found a 
few steps after you pass a post on your left* Findmgyour way is a process of “putting two and 
two together” and it does require effort and concentration, but the personal freedom which they 
buy is cheap at the price. 

Since the powers of orientation are constantly assuming the burden of carrying out the 
functions which the eyes were intended to perform, sightless persons use up considerably more 
energy m the course of a day’s work than seeing persons do. Furthermore, the efficiency of the 
senses and muscles is increased or reduced as the health of the individual is good or poor. No 
sightless man ever feels that the way to compensate for this extra consumption of energy is to 
work less than his sighted friends do, for those who do not see know that what th^ wish above all 


14 





else is to live normally and independently. In the scrupulous observance of the rules of physical 
exercise and sports lies the solution to the problem of preserving the keenness of the senses, 
the efficiency of the muscles, and the mental alertness necessary for traveling safely, gracefully, 
and at a practical speed. Walking outdoors for the sake of exercise, swimming, and joining your 
friends in games of sport whenever possible should be a vital part of your life. Get your full 
quota of rest and sleep, and start the day right with a good wholesome breakfast. Your physical 
nature is ever striving to “pool’’ all its resources in order to reduce to a minimum the effects 
of loss of sight; therefore let your mind be as sensible as your body and do not abuse it, because 
you cannot afford to diminish any of its powers. If your hearing is defective, you should try to 
have this condition remedied at once by proper medical care, as the importance of hearing has 
already been made evident. 


1. Use of a Cane 


The best way for a newly blind person to locate obstacles is by the use of a cane. 

The use of white canes is restricted by law to the blind for their benefit and protection in 
some sections of the country. There are now canes made of a plastic as well as of wood or 
metal. Learn to hold the cane, whatever its material, with either hand. 

The first step in learning how to. travel alone with the aid of a cane consists in learning how 
to handle the cane. Let the arm managing the cane hang close to the side, straight down from 
the shoulder to the elbow. Extend the forearm forward from the elbow. Keep the wrist oblique, 
with the thumb-side uppermost. In order to hold the cane, close the hand firmly around the 
handle, but with no tenseness or tight grip. Thus the part of the handle joining the shaft of the 
cane faces forward; the upper part of the handle is between the thumb and the first finger; the 
under part of the handle (near the point where handle and shaft meet) rests on the thumb-side of 
the first finger on or near the second joint; the second finger closes under the handle. 

When the cane is grasped in this manner it slants most naturally, the tip being farthest for¬ 
ward and ready to “spot” danger ahead in time to avoid it. The tip is then also in a position to 
make contact with the ground easily by a slight lowering of the forearm whenever necessary. 
You may find it necessary to lower your arm and feel your way in any of the following circum¬ 
stances; 

1. When you have to move but have not yet gotten your bearings. 

2. When you are walking on an elevated structure from which you might fall. 

3. When ycu approach a flight of stairs to be descended. 

4. When you want to create an echo to help you estimate the distance to some object. 

In addition, this method of holding the cane affords maximum protection to the hand, leaving 
no fingers sticking out to be scraped or to be compressed by the door of a car or train. 

The cane will help you to achieve the art of walking in a straight line, a very valuable asset 
in traveling alone. To develop this ability practise walking, cane in hand, alongside the wall of a 
large room or long corridor from one corner to another. As you walk, let no part of your body 
or clothing touch the wall; take natural and free strides, for you will never achieve the art of 
walking straight unless your steps are even and steady. Every few places tap the wall lightly 
with the tip of your cane, to make sure that you are not veering away from the wall. It will be . 
well if at first there are no obstacles to obstruct your way, since the object of this exercise is 
to learn to walk straight. The same result might be achieved outdoors along the edge of a 
straight section of pavement. Do not always walk with the wall on the same side with reference 
to yourself; let the wall be at your right in some instances and at your left in others. Whether 
the wall is on your right or left, you may hold the cane in either hand. A simple turn of the wrist 
will cause tne tip of the cane to touch the wall if you have not swerved from it, and thus you can 
ascertain whether or not you are moving in a straight line. This operation will be the same 
walking anjrwhere. 

Whenever you must move without being perfectly certain of your bearings, keep turning the 
wrist alternately and strike the ground with the cane between each turn of the wrist. In this way 
you will ascertain what is ahead of each foot as you walk. 

As you walk with your usual strides, keep you free hand hanging relaxed at your side. When 
you think that you are coming close to an obstacle in front of you, do not yield to the temptation 
to grope. If you hold your cane as has been suggested, you will be able to use it most effectively 
to detect any obstacle in front or on either side provided your cane is the proper length. 


15 




















Determine the proper length for a man of your height by having someone hold a cane up¬ 
right against your side when you stand with the arm hanging down at the side. If the crook of 
the cane comes just above your elbow, this cane is the right length for you. The tip of a cane 
this long will be 8 inches in front of whichever foot is forward when the cane is held as re¬ 
commended. 

Furthermore, a cane should be sturdy enough to support your weight in case that you must 
lean on it to preserve your balance. For instance, a bus, street car, or train that you have just 
boarded may start suddenly before you have had a chance to find a seat or reach for a strap 

If you wish to ascertain the location of something more than 8 inches away from your foot 
(perhaps the edge of a curb), you may let your elbow leave its position at your sicfe and thus 
increase the reach of your cane. In the presence of danger, stand completely still until your 
cane has given you the necessary information. Do not bend your body forward imder any 
circumstances. The better your posture, the less likely you are to lose your balance, and the 
better your muscles and senses will serve you. 

Develop the knack of coming to a complete stop the moment that your cane comes into con¬ 
tact with an obstacle. At first you may find it difficult to stop short,but keep practising until 
detection of obstacles and stopping instantly have become an automatic habit. You will find this 
art better than accident insurance. 

Often, when making your way in unfamiliar parts (railway stations, sidewalks, office build¬ 
ings), you will have to sidestep such obstacles as coin-operated machines along walls (for 
vending food or telling weight), baby-carriages on walks, and articles of furniture in offices. 
Prepare yourself for manoeuvers to avoid them by making your way from one end to the other 
of a large room where the furniture has been arranged to form a well defined path, but where 
some objects (including those projecting from walls) must be sidestepped. As you begin to make 
your way, let someone stand at the opposite end of the path and occasionally produce the sound 
of jingling coins, ring a bell, or operate a machine. Such sounds will resemble as nearly as 
possible the ones which will serve you as clues to direction when you begin traveling alone. The 
object of this exercise, as of all the other exercises here recommended, is to rehearse actual 
traveling. That is why the sounds across the room should not be produced with the precision 
of a metronome. Sound-clues in actual traveling will seldom be so ideally made to order. Nor 
should the furniture in the room be arranged to form a “maze”. In real travel “mazes” are 
not often encountered. When they are met with, the only alternative is to “sound” your way 
through with your cane. 

In congested sections where the din of traffic does not permit you to tell when a car is going 
to turn the corner, it is extremely dangerous to cross the street unassisted. Avoid the risk of 
suffering a new injury that may turn into an additional handicap. Never leave the curb until you 
know that you have the right of way. Before leaving the curb, be sure that you are starting 
straight for the opposite curb, not diagonally. When your cane tells you that you have reached 
the other curb, slow down and step up on the curb cautiously, turning your wrist in such a way 
that, if you are holding the cane with your right hand, the tip will be in front of your left foot. If 
you are holding the cane with your left hand, the tip will be in front of your right foot. 

This procedure will protect your whole body from collisions with posts, bus signs, mail 
boxes, and similar objects apt to be at curbs. Then move forward cautiously until, by your cane 
or your “facial sense” or some other clue, you know that you have reached the row of buildings 
or familiar landmarks. You are now ready to proceed along the block. 

When you are approaching a flight of ascending stairs, slow down and with your cane 
estimate the distance to the first step. Then proceed to go up, striking each step with the cane 
until you have reached the top safely. After you have become thoroughly familiar with the stair¬ 
case, you will not find it necessary to touch every step. When you approach a set of descending 
steps, slow down so that you can estimate the distance to the first step down. Then proceed to 
descend, holding the cane slightly lower than when you are making contact with level groimd,so 
that when you reach the bottom of the stairs the cane will strike the level ground just before your 
foot does. Always measure the depth of a drop before stepping down. This is most important 
in preventing such accidents as stepping into a hole, onto the railway-tracks, and into other 
places equally dangerous. 

In going through a revolving door, hold your cane with your right hand, and approach the 
door slowly with your left arm raised diagonally toward the right and bent at the elbow. In this 
way you will not get your fingers caught and you will protect your body, as your arm will touch 
the door first when you are ready to go through. As you approach the door, listen carefully for 


685482 0 - 46 -4 


17 











(» 


18 























the sound of footfalls ahead, so that you will not interfere with others ahead of you. 

In your home and in places equally free from danger, learn to get along without a cane; move 
about freely and with confidence. This will make your sighted friends and family feet at ease 
when you are around them, and will help them forget that you cannot see. 

With the development of science, mechanical aids for guidance of the blind may appear 
through the use of Radar or other technical means. Up to the present no practical mechanical 
aids have been produced. 


2. Use of a Guide Dog 

The points of view as to the usefulness of a dog as guide are widely divergent For that 
reason it has been advised by authorities that no decision be reached until at least a year has 
elapsed after discharge from the hospital. That period of proving will tell you whether or not 
you will find it advisable to apply for the training necessary to secure a guide dog. 

The following are the advantages and disadvantages of the guide dog. 

The companionship of the dog - is of real value to many persons, especially the newly blind 
who feel the need of the emotional outlet and sense of security which such companionship gives . 
“Your dog is one friend who will never let you down’’ is the way that they express it. 

A second advantage is the sense of security or independence in traveling alone. The aid of 
the dog enables a newly blind person to step off briskly down the street, and to cross the street 
in traffic without having to ask assistance. 

Many blind persons have to pay a sighted guide to take them to and from work, and the guide 
dog enables the blind to dispense with this costly service. In some cases the guide dog makes 
employment or earning a livelihood possible for blind persons who might not otherwise be able 
to work. 

Numerous blind persons in all walks of life use guide dogs. The many persons in the United 
States who own such dogs are found in nearly every occupation from mechanical and industrial 
to commercial and professional positions. 

The public has become accustomed to the use of guide dogs by blind persons, and this rec¬ 
ognition affords an additional protection. The guide dog is thus a recognized part of a blind 
person’s equipment. Such dogs are allowed to travel on most vehicles of transportation in 
nearly every State in the Union. In some States this right is recognized by law. 

We cannot be realistic and straightforward in dealing with this subject unless we mention the 
disadvantages of the use of the guide dog. 

Some people do not like dogs. In addition to proper food and care, dogs must have a normal 
amount of affection and friendly treatment. This necessary care might be regarded as a nuisance 
and a burden by those who feel no special affection for dogs. 

Dogs are creatures of habit and their continued discipline must not be neglected. If not kept 
in training or if petted by stranger^ dogs may embarrass their owners by improper behavior and 
become unreliable as guides. In this connection there is the possibliity that the animal itself 
will incur injury or sickness while in harness and cause its owner to suffer a bad fright if not 
actual injury. 

Congested traffic in large cities presents a problem, in meeting which some people think that 
guide dogs are inadequate or unnecessary. Dogs prove unnecessary where blind persons who 
travel to and from work daily soon master the course alone simply by repetition. 

There is further danger that the use of the dog may become an emotional crutch to which the 
blind person clings as the baby to its rattle. The use of a dog should not be allowed to prevent 
the development of independence in traveling atone. 


3. Use of Dark Glasses 

If you choose to wear dark glasses, it may be for a variety of reasons. One is that the 
wearing of tinted lenses tellq the public that any stumbling into people is not due to intoxication. 
Of course there are other conditions leading to staggering, such as cardiac disorders or faint¬ 
ness after donating blood. 

The concealment of scars or other deformities by means of dark or frosted glasses has been 
advocated by many writers. Some people are as sensitive to red eyes as to the sight of blood. 


19 






and so if you are dealing with squeamish people you may choose to spare yourself their re¬ 
actions. 

In addition to the above motives your own physical comfort is to be considered. If some 
vision is present and the sun or any glare causes actual pain you will no doubt find relief in 
smoked glasses. One totally blind person whose eyes water and hurt on exposure to the wind 
found green plastic glasses with side-pieces (al.so keeping out the wind at the side) the solution 
to his problem. 

The reaction of many blind adults is to resent the suggestion that the eyes be screened in 
some way. They feel that the wearing of dark glasses for any reason save the relief of pain is 
tantamount to branding themselves blind as surely as if they wore a printed sign. Any badge 
that makes them conspicuous in a crowd hurts their pride and reminds them of the sacrifice of 
their independence. 

There is another side to it. Today many people wear mildly tinted lenses (expecially in the 
summer), many people wear spectacles of some kind (including contact-lenses) most of the 
time, and there are many types of eyeglasses, some becoming to the wearer. Any stigma 
attached to the wearing of glasses is therefore lessened because you are only one of many. 

The possibility of being cut if glasses break while on the wearer has been diminished through 
the development of non-shatterable and plastic materials. In what is now a post-war world there 
will doubtless be great improvement in this field. 

There seems to be no one solution that will apply to all visually handicapped persons. Per¬ 
haps it is largely a matter of personal desire. If you are not sensitive, taking the attitude that 
you do not care who knows of your handicap, you will probably be happier with dark glasses to 
announce the nature of your handicap and bring you the extra courtesies that may prove welcome. 


B. TRAVELING WITH A SIGHTED GUIDE 

Many railroads, bus-lines, and ships do not wish to be responsible for blind persons 
traveling alone. For this reason they have granted a concession whereby a blind person and the 
sighted person acting as guide may travel for one fare. Instructions for filing an application to 
travel in this way are given on page 38 of chapter V. 


C. ROOM ORIENTATION 
I. Ascertaining Location of Furniture 

It is always wise to be cautious when entering an unfamiliar room. On stepping across the 
threshold look about, in order to gather through the so-called “facial sense” as much informa¬ 
tion as possible regarding the general shape and size of the room. If ycu use your ears to good 
advantage, you will soon discover that toey can bring you a surprising amount of knowledge 
concerning the room. If conversation is taking place, you can easily estimate the number of 
persons present, their relative positions in the room and whether they are seated or standing. 
The distance of the various voices will give you a fair idea of the size of the room. The quality 
of the voices (muffled or ringing) will disclose whether the room is abundantly or scantily 
furnished. Take note of all tire sounds which can be used later as clues to assist you in moving 
about the room freely. Noises from the outside may indicate windows, or doors to other rooms. 
The ticking of a clock might give you the location of a table or shelf or mantelpiece. A radio set, 
when turned on, is invaluable in helping you to judge distances. 

Intelligent listening can aid you greatly in familiarizing yourself with your immediate 
surroundings, but it does not warn you of such objects as lamps, coffee-tables, footstools, and 
so forth. Extreme care when first moving about is therefore wise. If you have a cane with you, 
use it as an aid in locating these objects, but handle it gently so as not to upset or damage any¬ 
thing. 


2. The Orderly Arrangement of Personal Belongings 

A blind person who does not keep his belongings in specific places will constantly find him¬ 
self in trouble. You must therefore heed Benjamin Franklin’s adage of “a place for everything 


20 






and, everything in its place/’ Decide on a place in which to keep each article, and always re¬ 
turn the article to its own particular spot. By so doing you will be able to locate any desired 
article immediately without disturbing other things. 

Devise ways of separating articles identical save for color. For instance, have a tie-rack 
which is divided into several sections, so that ties to be worn with certain suits may be kept 
together. Use a shoe-rack and always put your shoes, in pairs, in their proper places. One 
way to distinguish your colored shirts from your white ones, if the texture of the material is not 
a sufficient clue, is to ha'v^ them marked with thread, each of the various colors being indicated 
by a different number of “French knots.” A refinement of this marking is to have Braille- 
symbols embroidered to indicate the actual color (bl for blue, wh for white). In either case the 
identification may be placed in some inconspicuous place, where it will not be seen if the coat is 
removed in public and where the shirt will not get mussed when the identification is sought. The 
inner neckband would be ideal from both viewpoints unless the dots should chafe a sensitive 
neck. The space between the upper buttons, under the tie when the shirt is worn, would be the 
second choice. If you should be so situated that no assistance from a sighted person is avail¬ 
able, it may be safer to wear white shirts and no others, for the colored ones often fade badly in 
laundering. 

If you launder your own socks, pin them together in pairs before washing them, and you will 
never be embarrassed by appearing in public with socks that are not mates. Another solution is 
to purchase half a dozen pairs of socks just alike, and then your worries as to matching are not 
so great. 


3. How to Find Articles When Dropped 

In recovering an article you have dropped, there are some things to avoid and other things 
to do. 

When you suddenly lose hold of something, never bend forward to try to catch it before it 
reaches the floor. Such an attempt is nearly always futile. What is worse, it frequently results 
in splitting a lip on the back of a chair that you have not noticed, in bumping an eye or nose 
against a bedpost, or in making you the victim of some other equally exasperating accident. As 
an article falls, do not gasp or utter a sound, because this noise would hamper your ear in 
detecting the position of the object as it touches the floor. Never use your feet to try to find it. 

Do listen attentively, so that the direction of the sound made by the object as it strikes the 
floor will fix itself clearly in your mind. Then bend down cautiously, with your hand extende4 so 
that it will touch the floor as nearly as possible at the spot from which you heard the sound. If 
your hand fails to locate the article at the first try, lightly comb the areafrom whichthe sound 
emanated, always drawing your hand toward you when it meets the floor. This will draw the 
missing object toward you and not push it farther away. To do this successfully, it is important 
to keep both feet in the exact spot where you were standing when the article fell. 

If you have dropped a coin or some object that rolls or bounces, start walking slowly, 
following the object by the sound, so that when it comes to a rest you will be within bending- 
reach of it. Then proceed as before. 

If the article dropped is a handkerchief or an article whichmakes no noise on alighting, 
immediately note the position of your hands when it slipped out of your grasp, so that you may 
estimate the general direction in which it fell. This calculation will have to take the place of 
any noise; then you may proceed as already indicated. 

When for some reason you are at first unaware that you have dropped an article, and when 
your idea of its location is consequently very vague, try using your cane as finder by moving it 
back and forth horizontally and around in circles‘along the floor. Move it gently, so that when 
you finally touch the article you will not again send it beyond your reach. 


D. TELLING TIME 
1. Watches 

The most popular type of wrist-watch in use is one with raised dots where each of 12 
numbers appears. The number of hands varies with the model, as a second-hand is included on 


21 





some models. The top is often made of metal instead of crystal or plastic, and is affixed to 
the case by a hinge; hence the hands or pointers are protected from injury. In telling time from 
such a watch the blind man is instructed to use the thumb and not a finger, in order to avoid 
blimting the sensitiveness of fingers, so precious for reading. This strap-watch may be obtained 
through the Veterans Administration, 

The regular type of watch for the pocket is employed by a few, sometimes with no modifica¬ 
tions. 

There is an ingenious watch with a '“striker’’ which some are able to afford. On touching an 
outer button, the number of hours is indicated by a corresponding number of very pleasant notes 
from a small bell inside. The arrangement for the minutes varies with the model. These 
“repeaters” are very expensive and get out of repair very easily. 


2 . Clocks 

In communities of all sizes there are clocks out of doors which strike the hours and some¬ 
times fractions of hours. 

Inside there are clocks of all varieties. Mechanical ones often strike the hours and occasion¬ 
ally other mtervals. Electric clocks are many times silent except for the alarm. 

Some universities have a special system of musical chimes to denote the passage of time. 


3. Miscellaneous 

You may be one of the lucky people blessed with so marked a sense of time tha: you know 
almost to the minute what time it is. There are some blind people who have developed a keen 
sense of time. This is something to strive for. 

When mechanically produced indications are not available, the blind sometimes idepend on the 
effect of the sun. They turn around until it seems warmest, and then gauge the time by the deg- 
gree of heat on the face. 

Rural residents depend on the cries of animals to some extent. 

Urban residents find that the passing of certain people (Postman) or of certain vehicles 
(sprinkler) at fixed times gives them help when in doubt. 

Necessity is the mother of invention here as elsewhere, and you may easily develop efficient 
devices yourself. 


E. HANDLING MONEY 
1. Banking 

The handling of money is a most important part of daily living, 

A simple procedure, such as banking, sometimes constitutes quite a problem for the blind 
person. Each bank has its own requirements for making deposits, withdrawals, and handling 
checks; but in each transaction the signature of the person involved plays the most important 
part. When a person cannot sign his own name, most banks require him to make his mark in the 
presence of two witnesses, while a few banks will accept fingerprints. You can readily under¬ 
stand how awkward and embarrassing such a performance is; so be glad that you can already 
sign your name, and be sure to keep this ability by exercising it frequently. 

In order to sign within a designated spa.ce, you will need some assistance from a seeing 
person, and a guide to help you write in a straight line. A small card carefully placed for the 
signer about 1/4 inch below the place for the signature is enough of guide for many people. 
Some carry a small piece of cardboard or metal about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide, with 
space cut out in the center measuring-1/2 inch by 3 1/2 inches. This can very easily be carried 
in the pocket or wallet. When this little guide is placed over the space for the signature, you can 
sign in the cut-out space. In signing or endorsing checks, perhaps the simplest solution is to 
have someone fold the check at the proper place, and then you can use the resulting crease to 
keep your signature straight. The use of an indelible pencil is legal, but most banks prefer all 
signatures in ink. 


22 




If you have your own checking account, be sure to have some responsible person fill out the 
check properly before you add your signature. Also, before you affix your name to any paper 
requiring a signature, do not fail to have some trustworthy person read the paper to you. 

You will be well advised to cash checks, especially small ones, promptly.*In the world of 
finance this businesslike attitude is very much appreciated, and you will gain a good reputation 
for yourself and for all other blind people if you adopt it. 


2. Recognition of Coins 

You will discover, after a little observation, that coins differ from one another in quality, 
size, and thickness. The rough milled edges on fairly new dimes and quarters are also 
excellent clues in distinguishing these coins. Pennies and dimes are often troublesome to 
differentiate, especially when the pennies are old and worn. For that reason it is wise to keep 
your pennies separated from your other change. Practise the recognition of coins through the 
sense of touch until you can pick out the various coins accurately and with a fair amount of 
speed. If you drop the different coins on a hard surface, you will notice that each has a ring of 
its own. Learn to recognize the sound of each coin’s ring, and then you will have two means of 
identification. 

Still another technic is separating coins for ready use by putting nickels in the right'pocket 
of the trousers, dimes in the opposite pocket, quarters in the lower right pocket of the vest or 
coat, and pennies in the opposite one. This method is popular when much traveling is done by 
bus, taxi, or street-car. In cities where tokens are required for fares on various types of 
'vehicles, you may care to reserve a special pocket for them. In sections of the country where 
silver dollars are in current use, you will probably find it advisable to have on pocket lined 
with stout cloth or leather in addition to the regular lining. 

Another solution is to use a coin purse with a rack for each denomination of coin. Then 
purse can be kept in any pocket that you find convenient. 


3. Recognition of Paper Money 

A simple arrangement is to put each denomination in a separate compartment of the wallet. 
For example, ten-dollar bills would be kept in the front, five-dollar bills in the middle, and 
one-dollar bills in the back. 

Another method in vogue is folding down the corner of a bill to indicate that it is a five. 

A very sensible precaution of another kind has been adopted by one blind man. He carries 
two wallets. The wallet exposed to the public gaze for minor expenditures contains only a few 
one-dollar bills and therefore offers small if any temptation to thieves or pickpockets. In a 
hip-pocket he carries another wallet containing a larger amount of money; it is separated into 
fives and tens by folding the fives and putting them in the small compartment on the right 
usually reserved for cards. 

Additional plans include folding each denomination of bill a different way and attaching 
paper-clips in distinctive positions. For instance, one-dollar bills might be folded across 
twice; five-dollar bills might be folded lengthwise and then across; ten-dollar bills might be 
folded across once and then lengthwise, and so forth. One clip on the long side of a bill might 
indicate that it is a dollar, one clip on the short side that it is five dollars, and one clip in each 
of these positions that it is ten dollars. The danger of clips is of course that they may slip off 
and confuse you in transactions. 

A word should be said about two-dollar bills. One blind man who has had experience with 
them suggests folding and filing such bills separately and then exchanging them for ones as 
soon as possible. If in doubt you should always ask. 

When you must present a denomination higher than one dollar, extend the bill so that its 
amoimt may be seen easily, mentioning its denomintaion at the same time. Then, when the 
receiver acquiesces, let him have the bill. 


23 





24 








4. Money Orders 


If an applicant for a money-order is not able to fill out the application (form 6001), it may be 
filled out by any employee of the post office. No signature is required when an application for 
the issuance of a money-order is presented. 

If the holder of a money-order is not able to affix his signature under the words “Received 
payment,” he may make his mark (X), followed by the signature of the witness who is personally 
known to the paying clerk. 

Fingerprints cannot be substituted for the written signature on a money-order. 

It is prefered that pen and black ink be used in receipting money-orders. This is because 
signatures writtenw ith a pencil are liable to be blurred or possibly obliterated in the necessary 
handling of the paid voucher in the General Accounting Office. 


F. COMMUNICATION SKILLS 
1. Handwriting 

The process of conquering blindness consists in “pooling” all your resources, both physical 
and mental, to the best possible advantage. While some of these resources must be trained and 
cultivated, there are others which have been part of you since your early school days. Chief 
among the latter is your skill in writing with pencil and pen. This ability is one of the means 
through which you will continue having a relation of fellowship with your seeing friends and 
associates. 

One way to write straight with a pencil and keep your lines from running together is to fold 
your paper so as to form creases about 1/4 inch apart. Fold the paper from the bottom upward. 
Each little channel between the creases will be a line of writing, the creases serving as guides 
for your finger. Use your left hand as guide for the space between words if you are right-handed. 

You may secure a pencil-writing board from the American Printing House for the Blind and 
the Howe Memorial Press. It consists of a piece of cardboard about the size of an ordinary 
sheet of writing paper. It is corrugated, so that it looks just like a little washboard, except that 
the corrugations and grooves are flat. In order to write, you place your paper neatly over the 
board, fastening it at the top with a paper-clip. As each groove represents a line of writing, 
press the paper down into the groove with your finger, and then write on the line. This method 
is neater than the former, as the ridges in the paper are not nearly so pronounced. 

In wrtiing very brief notes, some persons do not employ any sort of guide. 

Make it a practice to write at least one brief note each day; otherwise the writing skill may 
be lost. Write your name frequently, so that you will always be able to produce a legible signa¬ 
ture. 

When you are interrupted in the midst of writing, mark your place with a common pin or 
thumb-tack, or count the lines which you have written before ^ou leave your paper, so that you 
may be able to find your own place when you return to your writing. The instant that the 
interruption takes place, fix in your mind the last thing that you wrote, much as you do when you' 
must leave your typewriter, so that you may resume writing without have to call some sighted 
person to tell you where you left off. 


2. Braille 

You possess a working knowledge of Braille when you are discharged from the hospital. 
Your concern therefore, is with practical applications of Braille. 

Perhaps the most practical application lies in having a means of reading and writing without 
recourse to the aid of others. That is, until you become thoroughly accustomed to having things 
read aloud to you or dictating material to others, you will doubly appreciate the independence 
furnished you by Braille. This presupposes that prior to your accident you were “eye-minded,” 
taking in things by eye better than by ear, as in reading print or staff-music. In this way your 
period of transition will be shortened and your lot easier. 

Regardless of the type or range of your interests, you will find Braille adaptable for 
expressing anything in your field. It may be a question of literature, music, mathematics. 


25 




weights and measures, and so forth. 

What may seem surprising at first glance is that Braille will prove helpful in keeping in 
touch with your seeing associates. In other words, knowing how to read and write Braille will 
enable you to keep track of the addresses and telephone numbers of friends, social acquaintances, 
and customers or clients in business. To file such data, filing cards measuring 4 by 6 inches 
may be employed, with alphabetical index cards measuring 4 1/2 by 6 inches. The cards may be 
filed in alphabetical order in a box suited to the size of the cards and the amount of material to 
be filed. Start your notation on these cards at the upper left-hand corner, as you would in typing 
or writing by hand. Then turn the cards over, so that the notation appears on the back at the 
lower left-hand corner. Insert the cards (with the notation running horizontally from left to 
right) facing away from you. This mode of filing enables you to insert your finger among the 
cards and read them without removing them from the box. The alphabetical index-cards, being 
1/2 inch higher than the others, permit quick reference to the correct section listing the name 
for which you are looking. 

If you are engaged in salesmanship, you will, through Braille, be able to keep a file of data 
which you could not possibly hope to keep -straight in your mind without the aid of systematic 
records which you yourself can consult. Such information would cover deliveries to be made, 
stock on hand, amounts due and to be paid out, receipts, and so forth. When filing bulky records 
pertaining to a person or concern, it is more practical to keep such records on whole sheets of 
paper in a loose-leaf book. A loose-leaf book consists of two pieces of cardboard (front and 
back covers) and any desired number of sheets of paper, held together with rings. In such a 
notebook you keep inserting the accumulating data, arranging them alphabetically, by dates, or 
in any form best suited to the special requirements of your field. Should you wish to divide your 
data into sections, you may do so by inserting a narrow strip of cardboard or a blank sheet of 
paper between each section. If you must carry your loose-leaf book about with you in the course 
of your business, protect it by keeping it in a cardboard folder. If you keep more than one book, 
label each cover properly, in order to distinguish one book from the others. 

When you have received typewritten and printed matter of importance, you should keep it in 
the original envelope, with the name of the sender and the date of receipt noted in Braille on the 
envelope. These envelopes can be preserved in a manner similar to that described for filing 
cards. In this way you are immediately able to pick out the material to which you may have to 
refer, without wasting your own time or that of your sighted reader. 

When you find it necessary to send a very carefully worded statement or a lengthy report, it 
is most advantageous to write at least a rough draft in Braille before you proceed to type out 
your thoughts. This is to keep your ideas organized and to be able to examine just what you are 
saying. You will find that, whenever possible, it will always be best to be able to look at what 
you are doing by consulting what you have written in Braille. 

Like the cane, the pencil-writing board, the Talking Book, and other devices, Braille is one 
of the effective weapons at your disposal for breaking out of the encirclement of blindness and 
achieving its conquest. But the process of becoming proficient in the art of reading and writing 
Braille, like that of learning how to type, is one which requires your patience and diligence, and 
the skilled assistance of a competent teacher. The process and methods of learning Braille are, 
consequently, not dealt with here. Any person of ordinary intelligence, having at least one arm 
and hand free from disability, can learn to read and write Braille. 

Such equipment as the stylus or punch board, slate, pocket slate, and Braille paper may be 
obtained from the Howe Memorial Press and from the American Printing House for the Blind. 
There are two types of American machines for writing Braille, though the shortage of metals 
stopped their manufacture during the recent war. One is the product of the American Foundation 
for the Blind; the other is the new model developed by the American Printing House for the 
Blind, 

The slate is adaptable to the widest number of purposes. The board slate is useful when you 
are working in one spot, as at a desk. Its superiority to the average Braille writer (foreign 
or American) is particularly evident when a written sheet must be reinserted in order to finish 
filling out a line (as in filling out record forms). It is sometimes difficult to reinsert a sheet in 
the average mechanical writer so as to get each line of writing exactly where it was before. In 
addition, the slate and stylus do not need the mechanical care which the writer does, and will last 
indefinitely if they are not mishandled. The slate is also more economical in that it enables one 
to write to the very bottom of a sheet of paper. No informed person, however, would deny the 
two greatest disadvantages attending its use. One is the fact that the writing must be done from 


26 





right to left. The other is that the use of the stylus is tiring to the hand. A minor disadvantage 
is the dropping of the stylus, which with the perversity of inanimate objects seems to take 
delight in eluding one’s grasp. 

The pocket slate is so named because it may be carried in your pocket quite conveniently. 
It comes in several sizes. The 19-cell, 6-line slate is exceedingly useful, for it fits most 
comfortably into your pocket and filing-card fits into it perfectly. Hence this size of slate is 
ideally suited for any business in which you must record data as you travel about. There is 
also the 27-cell, 4-line slate. While writing with a pocket slate you must rest it on a flat sur¬ 
face. 

The chief advantages of the writer are: (1) greater speed and less fatigue when writing 
steadily and at length; (2) the opportunity to check what has been written without removing the 
paper and turning it over; (3) the ability to write from left to right; and (4) finding one’s place 
instantly if one has been interrupted. No Braille writer light enough in weight to be carried 
about conveniently has thus far been perfected. 


a. Alternatives 

When you cannot put things into Braille yourself, find out if your local chapter of the American 
Red Cross or some church in your community has volunteers available to do your transcrib¬ 
ing. If not, perhaps some member of your family can learn Braille and serve as your secretary. 


3. Typing 

Typewriting is a skill of special value to the blind, since its advantages are so many in 
number. 

In a few short lessons the enthusiastic and industrious learner will find himself able to type 
his own letters and thus gain privacy and independence in transacting personal affairs and 
business. 

Ediphone and dictaphone transcibing machines offer many possibilities to one who might 
be interested in typing as a vocation. The problem of what to type is solved by the blind typist’s 
listening to a waxed cylinder on which are recorded manuscripts, business letters, medical 
reports, and so forth. Innumerable blind typists are scattered through the world of business, 
holding this and other types of positions in which typewriting enables them to increase their 
earning capacity. 

Pencil writing very often becomes an arduous task, especially if the matter to be written is 
of any length. Being able to type will lighten the task considerably and the resulting paper will 
be neater and more easily read. 


4. Dialing the Telephone 

The telephone is an important aid to a blinded or blind person. For that reason every 
visually handicapped person should know how to operate one. Even if the dial system has not 
yet been installed in the section of the country where you now live, the time when it will be in¬ 
troduced is not far distant. It would therefore be wise to learn how to dial your own numbers 
immediately and become that much more independent of sighted aid. If you ask a person with 
sight to dial a number for you, nine times out of ten he will feel it his privilege to stand by and 
listen to your conversation. Avoid that annoyance and embarrassment, and master this very 
simple operation yourself. 

At present every known dial has finger holes around its outer edge, arranged in a circle. 
These are numbered consecutively from 1, (which is in the first hole) to zero (which is in the 
tenth hole). Each of eight holes, starting with the second and ending with the ninth, also controls 
three letters of the alphabet, thus: the second hole operates number 2 and the letters A, B, B; 
the third hole operates number 3 and the letters D, E, F, and so forth. Q is omitted entirely; the 
seventh hole therefore operates number 7 and the letters P,R,S. The tenth hole covers Z, 
operator, and zero. Both numbers and letters run counterclockwise. 


27 




To dial, place the five fingers of the right hand in the first five holes of the dial, the little 
finger in number 1 and the thumb in number 5. Remove all the fingers from the holes except the 
one in the number to be dialed. For example, if you wish to dial number 3, remove all the fingers 
from their holes except the middle finger. Draw the dial back (upward or clockwise) until the 
middle finger touches the stop; then let the dial return to its normal position with the middle 
finger still remaining in the hole. Be careful never to retard the dial’s regular rate of speed. 
The fingers can then return to their positions in the holes very easily. 

As it is very awkward to place the fingers of the left hand in the holes in a similar manner, 
unless you are left-handed, a different method must be used for dialing numbers 6 through zero. 
Use the index finger of the left hand to dial these numbers. Locate 6 and 7 by coimting from the 
thumb, which is in number 5; locate zero, 9, and 8 by counting from the stop next to the zero. 
Whenever possible, use one number to guide you to the next. If you have just dialed a 7 and the 
next number is a 6, let your finger remain in the seventh hole as the dial returns to normal, and 
then just slide over one hole to the 6. 

To complete a call, a series of numbers must be dialed. The average person cannot readily 
remember more tJ:ian four numbers. In many cities and large communities the names of 
exchanges are therefore used. Here the first three letters of the name of the exchange are dialed 
and then a given number is dialed. In several of the largest cities (as in New York) one dials the 
first two l etters of the name of the exchange, followed by a given number. 

Fix firmly in your mind two groups of letters as keys: A, B, C in the second hole, and M, N, O 
in the sixth. It will then be comparatively easy to locate any letter by using these keys as 
starting points. Until you become quite expert at dialing, before you remove the receiver from 
the hook it will be well to figure out what numbers represent the letters you are going to dial. 

Unless numbers are dialed in fairly rapid succession, and at an even rate of speed, wrong 
connections are likely to occur, or there may be no connection at all. 

Try not to confuse the letter O (in the sixth hole) with the number zero (in the tenth hole). 

In an emergency, it is always possible to call the operator and explain your predicament; 
the proper hole to use in calling the operator is the bottom or tenth one, which controls Z and 
zero as well. 


a. Recreation 


G. READING FOR RECREATION AND INFORMATION 
1. Braille 


Braille is useful not only for business and for social ends; it can serve you in your moments 
of leisure, for there is reading matter in Braille ranging from the tragedies of Shakespeare to the 
detective stories of Ellery Queen. 

Braille can keep you abreast of current events and thought. Such periodicals as the Reader’s 
Digest and the Catholic Digest are already issued in Braille, and other well known magazines 
will be embossed. Information on this subject may be obtained by writing to the American 
Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky. 


b. Information 

Braille can also serve you for reading or for making your own notes if you are taking courses 
at some institution of learning. If your lending library does not have the books required for your 
courses, follow the suggestions made earlier in this chapter under “Alternatives.”* If they do 
not prove feasible and someone must read to you, you may apply to the Veterans’ Administration 
for the services of a reader. 


c. Borrowing 

All embossed books and magazines may be borrowed free of charge from your nearest 
library which handles Braille. Your local librarian will be more than glad to assist you in 
making selections. Books and periodicals are carried free through the mail. 


28 










There is every reason to stress the importance of personal contact with librarians, either 
by letters or interviews. Librarians who know your tastes will be glad to notify you of new pub¬ 
lications of special interest to you. This is essential for you to know in view of the fact that 
catalogues'cannot be kept up to date. 


2. Talking Book 

For recreational reading, the Talking Book is an excellent supplement to Braille. It consists 
of a machine whose turn table is constructed to revolve more slowly than that of the ordinary 
record player. Each record plays for half an hour, and the reading is done at average speed. 
Books of a fictional nature, biographies, plays, and others are recorded by professional readers. 
To obtain a machine, apply first to the local office of the Veterans’ Administration; if you are 
unable to secure one through this channel, and application may be made to the American Foimd- 
ation for the Blind. Records are available for loan from your Braille library; send the serial 
number of your Talking Book to the librarian when you make your application for records. 


H. EXERCISE AND SPORTS 

Everyone would like to have good health and you will be no exception. It is hardly necessary 
to remind you that exercise, sleep, and eating enough of the proper food are the mainstays of 
health. 

Exercise is of the highest importance to any blinded veteran for special reasons. It makes 
for mental and physical equilibrium, relieving nervousness, creating a good appetite, affording 
sound sleep, and proving a social asset. If you have taken a brisk walk before a meal, you will 
feel more like eating and like eating more. If you have learned to wrestle you will find walking 
easier, and if you wrestle on a team you will gain social prestige as an active member of your 
community. Faced as you are with the problem of learning new tactics quickly at a time when 
a brake has seemingly been applied to your freedom of movement, you will more than ever need 
the mental alertness which is one reward of exercise and sports. 


1. Exercise 

There are plenty of exercises which you can do by yourself in your own room to keep fit. 

You can preserve your good posture through abdominal retraction by stretching on the 
floor, or by standing against a wall and exercising. Or you can retain correct posture when 
seated through exercises in breathing with the diaphragm, or in stretching the ribs on each side 
alternately. Then you can try sitting down or standing and bending your trunk forward as if your 
spine were a straight rod. Another simple exercise is standing, raising the arms upward and 
forward to form an angle of 45 degrees with the trunk, rising on the toes; and stretching tall from 
the fingertips; then you might practise walking on tiptoe around your room while holding your 
arms in the same position . After that you can try bending your knees upward alternately while 
raising your arms forward and upward again, to tone up your muscles. You can easily think of 
variations yourself, perhaps hands on head, hands on shoulder, lunging, lying on your back and 
pretending to ride a bicycle, skipping rope, and so on, since you have already done plenty of 
setting-up exercises in the past. 

If there is a gymnasium in your community, you will of course have access to apparatus and 
perhaps be able to join in the activities of groups. If not, you might get a machine for exercising 
and have your work-out at home. 


2. Sports 

You can develop a new code of life through the relearning of skills and the development of 
ability to move about independently. Remember that you can have fun while learning to adapt 
yourself to a new situation, and that your spirit will help you to prove yourself a worthwhile 
member of society. 


29 




30 






The types of sports available to you will probably depend on the location of your home. Here 
are some sports you'might like to investigate and what to expect if you take part in them. 

Swimming is a sport in which the blind can engage both as a recreational activity and as a 
competitive sport. Until a blind man is familiar with the locale, he should ask for guidance. 
Indoors the first step is to walk around the outer edge of the pool, in order to get a conception of 
the width and length. Then inspect the ladders and any other fixed objects that will help you get 
your bearings when you come to the surface of the water after diving. For instance, the diving- 
board is pointed out because all swimmers continuously use the board, and it serves as an ideal 
guide. In the use of the board, a blind man should be taught to walk cautiously out to its end and 
to fall forward into the water until he gets the feel of the distance to the water. One hazard is 
eliminated if you come to the surface immediately and turn to the right or left and swim to the 
wall; the next diver cannot then land on top of you. Underwater swimming must be treated as 
a special event and done only after others are out of the pool. When someone calls out signals 
it helps you to develop swimming more than one length of the pool. 

Fundamentals of amateur wrestling are practised on the large mat. Your first action is to 
revert to a commando maneuver or jui-jitsu maneuver, which will stand out in your mind froni 
combat-training. Then you learn three or four take-down holds when both opponents are standing. 
Various escape holds and reversal-of-position holds are next used. Finially you are taught a few 
methods of controlling the man who is underneath. Because amateur wrestling is the most 
vigorous of all sports, you must be careful not to work too hard or to receive strains through 
overexert ion. 

Other real possibilities are track, jumping, baseball, boxing, fencing, riding horseback, 
bicycling, rowing, skating, bowling, and hiking. Try them all with guidance to see which you 
enjoy most and those in which you can excel. 


; 


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CHAPTER lY- VOCATIONAL OUTLOOK 

A. INTRODUCTION 

The desire for economic secarity is one of the most deep-seated of human aspirations. As 
a human being you will therefore wish to make sure of an adequate income for the present and 
future. As a veteran your peace of mind on this score will be helped by the knowledge that 
your pension will to some extent care for the economic factor. A pension will buy certain 
things, to be sure, but do not let it buy your initiative. Continue to be a wage-earner, so that 
you and your family may maintain a higher standard of living, and so that you can keep your 
self-respect. 

Before your discharge you were given educational and vocational advice, and you were told 
what aid you might expect from agencies handling rehabilitation. In addition, you may have 
heard from your union or your last employer that your pre-war job is waiting for you. Should 
you not choose to go back to your old job, though, a different course of action is indicated 

Assuming that you do wish a new job, your first thought will naturally be to wonder what 
vocational opportunities there are for the blind, because you will be honest enough to recognize 
that certain fields, of endeavor (proofreading or driving a truck) would be out of the question. 

The way has been paved for you by the blind who have demonstrated what they can do when 
given a chance. These jobs may be in a field previously untried by you as a civilian, or they 
may come under the heading of new skills acquired by you while in service. For example, you 
may have learned a new trade or had a taste of executive responsibility during military service. 
You may have become so interested in this new type of work that you will prefer it to your pre¬ 
war occupation, even if the latter is still possible. Another point to bear in mind is locality; 
do you wish to remain in your home town at any cost, or are you willing to move to a new 
community if you can thereby better yourself? It will be well for you to consult your family 
and also agencies in your community. There are bound to be ties and habits needing considera¬ 
tion by all members of a family, and regional interests call for careful weighing before a 
decision is made to move elsewhere. Try to give these matters your unbiased consideration in 
arriving at your decision, for the formation of definite plans will diminish any sense of 
frustration and aid mental health. There are five important factors to be taken into considera¬ 
tion when making your vocational choice; the nature of work meeting your present needs; 
brushing up on old skills or learning new ones; charting your interests; respecting the findings 
of aptitude tests; and making yourself try the job out. 


Training for Jobs 

Any realistic approach to securing work involves a knowledge of the scope of the job under 
consideration. If you should find that there are forgotten or unfamiliar elements, you may find 
it advisable to take refresher courses in order to keep abreast of advances made during your 
absence from the country, or to receive special training. Counselors have already pointed out 
the difficulty experienced by some veterans in reacquiring the proper habits of study; fore¬ 
warned is forearmed, and so be prepared for a lag in getting back to the use of textbooks. 
Remember at the same time, though, that the Instructor is on your side; his one desire is to 
make your educational experience profitable and of lasting value. All such programs of training 
are geared to your individual needs in the light of current opportunities for employment. 


B. CHARTING YOUR INTERESTS 

“l know what I like’’ is a familiar declaration on the lips of Americans. Being one, you 
probably know exactly where you vocational interests lie. For example, you no doubt have a 
definite preference for mechanics or music, for working by yourself or with others, and for 
following the beaten track or blazing new trails. 

Your first step will therefore be to find out what jobs are available to you, and your second 
to decide which of them appeals most to you. If you can find a job both within your capacities 
and to your liking, you will be ideally situated, if you should not be so fortunate, though, 
further steps will be necessary. 


33 







1 


» 



34 






You will have to subject youreelf to some self-analysis. What kind of personality do you 
have? Are you reserved or genial? Do you get absorbed in problems (puzzles, repair of radios) 
or do you find it hard to concentrate? Are you easily annoyed or do you take everything in 
your stride ? Do you like responsibility or do you prefer to follow directions? Do you require 
variety, or can you face routines without flinching? Do you need all the comforts of life to be 
happy, or can you enjoy a simple life? Are you inclined to live within your income or beyond it? 
Is your preference for life and work in the city or in the country? 

There may be new outlets for your capacities, outlets undreamed of by you. Interests may 
assert themselves as the result of accidental encounters with informed specialists bringing you 
a new viewpoint. Latent talents may be brought to the surface by a trained interviewer, with the 
result that you will set up new goals of achievement. 


C. VALUE OF WORK TRIALS 

One way to find out whether or not you have aptitude for jobs open to you is to take the stand¬ 
ard tests to establish or eliminate the presence of your aptitude. Such tests are objective and 
involve no favoritism. They cover all fields and will aid you in the proper selection of your 
professional interests, whether they be political or industrial. 

The acid test of aptitude for any career is how the individual succeeds when he gives the 
career a trial over a certain period. By observing at first hand the actual operation in the field 
of your interest you can test the soundness of your choice. You may improve faster than you 
think, and confidence will come as you improve. 

Many companies now employ the blind on a temporary basis, with the assurance of continued 
employment if the workers meet standards for employment in the special field under consider¬ 
ation. 

The experience of proving one’s worth is a challenge which brings out one’s sense of com¬ 
petition, a strong motive in many fields. You will be well repaid for your willingness to back up 
your claims to meriting employment of a given kind by a reasonable try-out period. If you 
succeed, you will know what line of work to follow; if you fail, you will have eliminated an 
unsuitable position from your list of choices. By being associated with those more experienced 
than yourself, you may pick up many “tricks of the trade” which will lighten your task as time 
goes by. 

There are many jobs open to the blind. The U.S.E.S., the V.A. and local blind agencies will 
keep you posted on trends and openings. Use their services for your own needs. It is for this 
that such organizations exist. 

No matter how humble the task that falls to your lot, doing it uncommonly well is sure to 
bring you success and pride in that success. 


35 





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CHAPTER Y- LEGISLATION AND WHERE TO GET SERVICE 

Two thoughts are bound to be uppermost in your mind, what rights and benefits accrue to 
you as a veteran and as a blinded man, and where to get service. The two subjects are closely 
related, and so they are grouped in one chapter. All statements made are accurate as of 
November, 1945, but the future may of course bring new or amended legislation and service for 
your benefit. It will therefore be to your advantage to keep posted as to such developments. 


A. LEGISLATION 

1. “G.I. Bill of Rights” 

The Service-men’s Readjustment Law, dating from June of 1944, was designed to give 
“emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not 
intend to let them down.” Its broad program covers four types of benefits: individual grants 
for training and education; loans to establish homes or businesses; improved machinery for 
vocational guidance and for finding employment; and unemployment allowances up to a maximum 
period of 1 year. 

Your chief interest in this law as it applies to you may well be in the part covering the 
Veterans’ Administration. The services handled by the latter are taken up in the portion of this 
chapter devoted to where to get service. 


2. Income tax 

You may have wondered if blindness would affect your income tax. The law reads that, after 
31 December 1943 a special deduction of $500 is allowed to blind individuals. They qualify for 
the deduction if they were blind on 1 July of the tax year. If their tax-year does not include 
1 July, they can qualify if blind on the last day of their tax year. 

Since “blind individual” is a highly technical term, you must check with your doctor. In the 
eyes of the law you are blind only (1) if central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better 
eye with correcting lenses, or (2) if your visual acuity is greater than 20/200 but is 
accompanied by a limitation in the fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual 
field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees. 

The deduction is not allowable for a blind dependent. There you get only the one exemption 
of $500 for the dependent. 

In the case of a joint return, if both husband and wife are blind individuals, and extra deduc¬ 
tion of $1,000 is allowable. 

If only the husband or wife is blind, only $ 500 may be deducted. 

The speical deduction is in addition to the personal exemption, the credit for dependents, 
and all other allowable deductions. 

Form 1040 is now available in grade 1 1/2 Braille and grade 2 Braille. It is supplied free of 
charge on application to Miss Alice Rohrback, Chief, Braille Transcribing Section, Books for the 
Adult Blind, Library of Congress, Washington 25, D.C. 


3. Travel 

The laws regarding travel vary with the mode, class, and State. The American Foundation 
for the Blind, Inc. (15 West Sixteenth Street, New York 11, N.Y.) handles applications for one- 
fare concessions, as explained in two pamphlets for which you should send. One is entitled- 
“Instructions for Obtaining the Reduced Rate Concessions for Blind Persons and Attendants on 
the Railroads.” The other is called “Instructions for Obtaining the Reduced Rate Concession on 
the Busses for Blind Person and Guide.” 


37 





a. On Trains 


A one-fare concession is granted by many railroads to enable a blind person to take a seeing 
attendant with him without paying more than one fare. It is not a half-fare rate for one blind 
person traveling alone, or for two blind persons traveling together without a guide. 

,This reduced rate is granted when the “financial situation merits the concession.” The 
applicant must be (1) totally blind, or (2) partially sighted but with sight so defective that it 
necessitates the attendance of a guide in unfamiliar surroundings. 

The types of fares governed by the concession (first class, coach, or tourist) vary with the 
section of the United States, but most lines grant the general one-fare privilege. The laws of 
two States (Missouri and Pennsylvania) do not permit the concession for fares between two 
points within the State. Special conditions of the same type govern travel in Canada. 

Application may be made to the American Foundation for the Blind. Accompanying the 
application for a book of 25 coupons should be two photographs, a letter of reference, and 25 
cents. 


b. On Busses. 


With the exception of the price of tickets, practically the same privilege applies to travel on 
busses. The blind person and his guide will be granted a one-fare concession by some com¬ 
panies, but will be required to pay 11/2 times the full fare by other companies. 

The matter is handled by the American Foundation for the Blind. 


c. With Dogs 


Under Public Law 309, 78th Congress, the Administrator of Veterans^ Affairs is authorized 
(under such regulations as he may prescribe) to provide guide-dogs trained for the aid of blind 
veterans who are entitled to disability-compensation under laws administered by the Veterans’ 
Administrator. The Veterans’ Administrator is also authorized to pay all necessary expenses of 
travel to and from your home to secure the dog and any expenses incurred in becoming adjusted 
to the dog. 

There are several private organizations which train guide dogs. Information concerning the 
steps necessary to secure guide dogs may be obtained by writing to the Veterans’ Administra¬ 
tion. 


4. Education 

Two laws have been passed to provide for vocational rehabilitation and/or education. 

Public Law 16, 78th Congress (approved March 24, 1943); extends the activities of the 
Veterans’ Administration to include vocational rehabilitation. 

Public Law 346, 78th Congress, devoted principally to eligibility for education or training 
and to benefits, and information as to benefits under these laws, may be secured by writing to 
your regional Veterans’ Administration office or consulting the representatives in the hospital 


B. WHERE TO GET SERVICE 

There are many types of service available to you, and consequently many headquarters for 
such service. Both civilian and military agencies are in existence. Probably their number will 
increase as time goes on and you will be well-advised if you try to keep abreast of such 
expansion. 


38 







1. Civilian Agencies 


a. Braille equipment 

Appliances and supplies for the use of Braille may be obtained from two sources. One is the 
American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. The other 
is the Howe Memori'al Press, 549 East Fourth Street, South Boston, Massachusetts. Apply for 
a price list in each case. 


b. Schools for the Blind 


It is worth your while to know whether or not there is a school for the blind in your State, 
for you may wish to obtain information as to special methods of education and training to adopt 
in furthering your own studies or in carrying on a business. The existing schools are listed by 
State on pagesl39 and 140of the 1945 edition of the “Directory of Activities for the Blind in the 
United States and Canada,” published by the American Foundation for the Blind. 


c. Presses for the Blind 


The addresses of printers and publishers will likewise prove welcome for reference. They 
are listed geographically on page 138 of the “Directory” just quoted. 


d. Libraries for the Blind 


The large number of libraries for the blind will make it easy for you to obtain literature to 
suit your taste. The majority of them are distributing libraries for the Library of Congress . 
Their location by State appears on pages 136 and 137 of the Directory of Activities for the Blind 
in the United States. 


e. Private Agencies 

The American Foundation for the Blind, Inc., which serves North America, has as its 
purpose the promotion of the interests of the blind. Its many activities include: research (on 
education, vocational opportunities, statistics, legislation, mechanical appliances, methods of 
publishing, the Talking Book); consultation (advice as to education, vocations, legislation, 
statistical records); field-service (assitance in presenting the needs of the blind to govern¬ 
ment officials, legislators, and the public; organization of new activities on behalf of the blind 
where needed; surveys of existing services); service to blind individuals (information and ad¬ 
vice, scholarships, arrangements for reduced fares in travel, discount service applying to 
various types of equipment, sale at cost of reproducers for using the Talking Book and of 
machines for writing Braille); publications (the magazine Outlook for the Blind in Braille and 
inkprint, the magazine Talking Book Topics in inkprint and recorded form, the Braille Bock Re¬ 
view in Braille, and books and pamphlets of professional interest to workers for the blind); the 
services of a reference library (books, pamphlets, manuscripts); professional development 
(training through institutes for social workers, summer school for negro teachers, employment 
bureau cove ring personnel for schools for the blind and agencies for the adult blind); and Natio¬ 
nal Industries for the Blind (an affiliated organization which works with the Government in allo- 
cating its orders to workshops for the blind and with local agencies in promoting the employ¬ 
ment of the blind). The address is 15 West Sixteenth Street, New York 11, N.Y. 

The American Printing House for the Blind,Inc., serves the United States and its Territories. 
It is maintained by an annual Congressional appropriation to supply embossed books and tangi¬ 
ble apparatus for promoting the education of &e blind. The books and magazines published by 
it are of course in Braille, and one magazine (The Reader’s Digest) is reproduced for the Talk¬ 
ing Book as well. It also manufactures Talking Books and tangible apparatus and maintains a 
library for students. You should address this printery at 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, 
Kentucky. 


39 






















The agency entitled “National Society for the Blind, Inc.,''is located in room 727 of the Wood 
ward Building, Washington, D.C. Its services are national in scope. It publishes factual data on 
placement and it reports on Federal legislation pertaining to the blind. 


f. Public: Agencies 


Vocational Rehabilitation Service has an agency, usually bearing the same name, in each of 
the 48 States and in the District of Columbia. The services rendered vary with the branch, and 
they are accordingly noted individually on pages 19 to 105 of the sixth edition of the “Directory 
of Activities for the Blind in the United States and Canada." 

U.S.E.S. is an abbreviation for United States Employment Service of the War Manpower 
Commission. It maintains offices throughout the country, and you will have no difficulty in 
locating one in or near your community. 


2. Federal Agencies 

The Veterans' Administration, Washington 25, D.C., is the most important agency for your 
use. The Veterans' Administration will provide necessary reader services for the vocational 
rehabilitation and/or education of a blinded veteran entitled to it under Public Laws 16 and 346 
If such articles as canes or watches are needed, they can be secured when the veteran registers 
his request through the Reginal Office, after which the matter is routine in checking the need 
and complying with the request if approved. Guide service would be provided only for cases 
being authorized by the Veterans' Administration for official travel. The procedure in applying 
for aid is (1) to file your request for the desired article or service with the Regional Office of 
the Veterans' Administration in the territory where you reside, and (2) to file the forms necess¬ 
ary for the office to proceed on the request. Send to the central office for a list of re¬ 
gional offices for your reference. 

The Veterans' Administration has already provided and is continuing to provide “facilities" 
or hospitals for after-care of veterans. The facilities and their location can be secured by 
writing to the central office in Washington, D.C. 

You should make a note of the following. The office of the Surgeon General of the United 
States Army is at 18th and H Streets, Washington, D.C. The office of the Surgeon General of the 
United States Navy is in the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Potomac Annex, Washington 25, 
D.C. The office of the Surgeon General of U.S. Public Health Service is to befound in Federal 
Security Agency, Washington, D.C. 


40 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 1940-1945 

Biographies of the Handicapped 


Barton, Betsey 

And Now to Live Again. 

New York; D. Appleton-Century Company. 1944. 150 pp. 

(Blindness is mentioned on pages 27 and 83.) 

Bretz, (Mrs.) Alice 

I Begin Again. Second Printing. 

New York: Whittlesey House. 1940. 201 pp. 

Butterfield, Roger 

A1 Schmid: Hero. Nearly Blinded While Killing 200 Japs, He Has 
Returned to the Girl Who Waited for Him. 

Life, volume 14, pages 35-36, 38, 40, 42, and 44, number 12, 

March 22, 1943. 

Butterfield, Roger 

A1 Schmid, Marine. First Edition. 

New York; W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1944. 142 pp. 

Butterfield, Roger 

Sergeant Schmid, Marine. 

Hearst’s International combined with Cosmopolitan, volume 115, 
pages 49-51, 167-170, and 172, number 5, November, 1943. 

Dahl, Borghild 

I Wanted to See. First Printing. 

New York: The Macmillan Company. 1944. 210 pp. 

Foulk, (Sergeant) Leonard M. 

Still My World. 

San Francisco, California: Pacific Union College Press. 1945. 

70 pp. 

Fraser, (Sir) Ian 

I Believe ... 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 61-63, number 3, March, 
1945. 

Fraser, (Sir) Ian 

Learning to BE Blind. 

London: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons Ltd. 1943. 32 pp. 

Fraser, (Sir) Ian 

Whereas I Was Blind. 

London: Hodder & Stoughton. 1942. 169 pp. 

Greenwood, (Lieutenant) Lloyd H. 

In Wonderland. 

The American Magazine, volume 140, page 81, number 3, September, 
1945. 

Hawkes, Clarence 

My Country. The America I Knew. 

Boston: Chapman & Grimes. 1940. 230 pp. 


41 





Ohnstad, Karsten 

The World at My Finger Tips. First Edition. 

New York; The Bobbs-Merrill Company. 1942. 348 pp. 

Pierce, Robinson 

It Was Not My Own Idea. 

New York; American Foundation for the Blind, Inc. 1944. 128 pp. 

War-blinded Veteran Wins Writing Contest. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, page 202, number 7, September, 
1945. 

Wittels, David G. 

“I Can See Againl” 

The Saturday Evening Post, volume 214, pages 27 and 65-68, number 
36, March 7, 1942. (After being blind for five years, the author 
regained his sight.) 


The Blind in Fiction 


Gill, Brendan 

The Guide. 

The New Yorker, volume 21, pages 21-22, number 10, April 21, ly45. 

Kendrick, Baynard 

Blind Man’s Bluff. 

Boston; Little, Brown and Company. 1943. 282 pp. 

Kendrick, Baynard 
Death Knell. 

New York; William Morrow & Company. 1945. 210 pp. - 

Kendrick, Baynard 

Melody in Death. 

The American Magazine, volume 139, pages 141-164, number 6, June, 
1945. 

Kendrick, Baynard 

The Odor of Violets. 

Boston; Little, Brown and Company. 1941. 310 pp. 

Kendrick, Baynard 

Out of Control. 

New York; William Morrow & Company. 1945. 216 pp. 

Post, Mary Brinker 

Every Wednesday Afternoon. 

Woman’s Home Companion, volume 72, pages 21 and 73-75, number 1, 
January, 1945. 

Sheldon, (Mrs.) Jean Pendleton (“Gene Henry”) 

Miss Bronska. 

New York; Dodd, Mead & Company. 1942. 250 pp. (In this series 
of ten stories, one of the central figures is James Gillingham, 
an R.A.F. flight-leader blinded in World War 11.) 


42 


I 

Walpole, Hugh 

The Blind Man’s House. 

Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc. 1941. 
337 pp. 

i 

i Recreation 

f AUman, Bob, and Davis, Russ 
We Blind Have Fun. 

The Saturday Evening Post, volume 212, pages 20-21, 90, 92, 94, 
f and 97, number 52, June 22, 1940. 

, Emerson, Grace 

How to Make a Chart for Teaching Card Games. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 37, pages 221-222, number 8, 

October, 1943. 

Findlay, Hugh 

The Blind Can Grow Too. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 69-70, number 3, March, 
1945. (Gardening.) 

Jacobs, Stanley S. 

Report to the Editors. Scouts Without Sight. 

The Saturday Evening Post, volume 217, page 6, number 29, January 
13, 1945. (The Story of Fred Bolotin, a blind scoutmaster of 
Chicago.) 

Lake, Merton M. 

On the Farm Front. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 37, pages 35-36, number 2, Febraury, 
1943. 

Lindheim, Burton 

Blind Swordsmen. 

The New York Times Magazine, page 16, Sunday, August 3, 1941. 

^ Lowe, Percy M. 
r Gardening in the Dark. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 98-100, number 4, April, 

• 1945. 

I McClung, Garret W. 

Problems in Teaching Dramatics to the Blind. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 37, pages 95-100, number 4, April, 
1943. 

Marmein, Irene 

Experiences and Reflections of a Dramatics Coach, 
i Outlook for the Blind, volume 37, pages 157-160, number 6, June, 

I 1943. 

Morris, Frances 

Rowing As a Recreation. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 159-161, number 6, June, 

■ 1945. 

\ 

I 


43 




Fierce, Robinson 

Tooting for Diversion. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 162-165, number 6, June, 
1945. 

Rickard, Ralph 

Chess and the Blind. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 166-167, number 6, June, 
1945. 

Yale's Russel. 

Time, volume 43, pages 59-60, number 7, February 14, 1944. 
(Wrestling.) 


Rehabilitation 


Advice to Civilians. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, page 67, number 3, March, 1945. 

(A reprint of suggestions made by the American Theatre Wing War 
Service, 730 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York.) 

Barton, (Major) Walter E. 

A Program for the Care of the Blind in World War II in Army Hospitals. 
Proceedings of the Twentieth Biennial Convention of the American 
Association of Workers for the Blind, pages 51-55, 1943. 

Beam, (Lieutenant Commander) A.D. 

The Navy’s Program for the Rehabilitation of Blinded Personnel. 

Cutlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 154-158, number 6, June. 

1945. 

Berger, Meyer 

Minds and Bodies Restored by Army. Individualized Therapy Keeps 
Pace with Surgical Care for Those Mutilated in War. Zest for 
Renewing Life. Handicrafts, Hobbies and Discussions Point Way 
to Re-entering World on Cwn. 

The New York Times, page 44, Sunday, December 3, 1944. 

Boucher, Arline Britton, and Tehan, John Leo 
They Can “See” Without Eyes. 

The Saturday Evening Post, volume 217, pages 26-27 and 102-104, 
number 43, April 21j 1945. (The teaching of orientation to 
blinded soldiers at Cld Farms Convalescent Hospital, Avon, 

Connecticut.) 

Clunk, Joseph F. 

Cpen Letter to My Newly Blinded Friend in the Armed Forces. 
Washington: The National Society for the Blind, Inc. 1944. 

36 pp. 

Duke-Elder, (Lady) P. M., and Davenport, R. C. 

Rehabilitation in Cphthalmic Cases. 

The British Journal of Physical Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, 
volume 5, pages 88-90, number 5, May-June, 1942. 

Dunbar, Flanders 

Psychomatic Approach to Physiological Dysfunction and Disease. 
Federation Proceedings, volume 3, pages 271-274, number 3, September, 
1944. 


44 



Efron, Edith 

Old Jobs, or New Ones, for the Veterans? 

The New York Times Magazine, pages 11 and 41-42, Sunday, March 18, 
1945. 

Eisenbud, Jule, and Barton, (Major) Walter E. 

Understainding People in Wartime. Foreword by Dorothy H. Sills. 

New York: National Travelers Aid Association. 1943. 24 pp. 
(Especially pages 17-19) 

Farrell, Gabriel 

Help for the Blinded Soldier. 

Hygeia, volume 22, pages 259-260 and 317-319, number 4, April, 

1944. 

Foster, Athene S. 

Florida Develops a New Trade. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 37, page 107, number 4, April, 1943. 
(Spinning and rolling of oakum for caulking of barge-bottoms.) 

Frampton, Merle E. 

Rehabilitation of the War Blinded. 

Archives of Ophthalmology, volume 32, pages 433-434, number 5, 
November, 1944. 

Fraser, (Sir) Ian 

England’s Blind World at War. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 36, pages 198-201, number 4, October, 
1942. 

Fuss, Felicia 

Rehabilitation of the Disabled Serviceman: A Selected Bibliography. 
Revised and Enlarged. 

Bulletin of the Russell Sage foundation Library, number 162, November, 
1944. (Especially pages 12-13.) 

Geffner, M. Michael 

The Blind Are Not Apart. 

Survey Midmonthly volume 81, pages 14-16, number 1, January, 1945. 

Greear, (Lieutenant Colonel) James N., Junior 
Rehabilitation of the Blinded Soldier. 

Transactions American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, 
volume 49, pages 59-62, September-October, 1944. 

Greear, (Lieutenant Colonel) James N., Junior 

Rehabilitation of the War-blinded Soldiers. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 38, pages 121-124, number 5, May, 

1944. 

Griffis, Enid 

How Can I Help the War-blinded Soldier? 

Ladies’ Home Journal, volume 62, pages 62 and 64-65, number 3, 
March, 1945. 

Griffis, Enid 

When the Blind Soldier Goes Home. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume38, pages 74-76, number 3, March, 

1944. 


45 







Gutzeit, Edith E. 

Medical-social Aspects in the Rehabilitation of the Blind. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 38, pages 196-201, number 7, Sep¬ 
tember, 1944. 

Handicap Compensation Needed Instead of Present Social Security Act. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 174-176, number 6, June, 
lb45. 

Hardy, Julia 

The Army’s Medical Program for the Disabled. 

The Crippled Child, volume 22, pages 66-68 and 88, number 3, 
October, 1944. (Especially page 68.) 

Hillman, (Brigadier General) Charles C. 

The Army Rehabilitation Program for the Blind and the Deafened. 
The Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 125, pages 
321-323, number 5, June 3, 1944. Also: Archives of Physical The¬ 
rapy, volume-25, pages 478-481 and 506, number 8, August, 1944. 

Hines, Frank T. 

G. I. Bill of Rights. The Rehabilitation and Protection of War 
Veterans. 

Vital iSpeechesof the Day, volume 11, pages 57-62, number 2, 
November 1, 1944. 

Home for War-blinded Canadians. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 38, page 117, number 4, April, 1944. 

How to Serve Those Who Cannot See. 

(1945.) 4 pp. (This booklet is directed to the attention of all 
members of the dining-car department, to assist them in serving 
meals to blinded veterans on trains. It was written in collaboration 
with the Seeing Eye.) 

Hurd, Charles 

Veterans’ Intelligence. Veteran Now Has 90 Days to Decide Whether 
to Go Back to Former Job. 

The New York Times, page 45, Sunday, December 3, 1944. 

I.B.M. Re-establishes Training School. 

Cutlook for the Blind, volume 39, page 210, number 7, September, 
1945. 

Income Tax Return Form 1040 Now Available in Braille . 

Cutlook for the Blind, volume 39, page 187, number 17, September, 
1945. 

Instruction-manual. Directions for Administering Manual and 
Mechanical-aptitude Tests. 

New York: The New York Institute for the Education of the Blind. 
1945. 31 pp. 

Irwin, Robert B. 

Five Ways to Employment of the Blind. 

Cutlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 173-174, number 6, June, 
1945. 


46 






Irwin, Robert B. 

Report of the Committe on the War Blind of the American Association 
of Workers for the Blind. 

Proceedings of the Twentieth Biennial Convention of the American 
Association of Workers for the Blind, pages 189-191, 1943. 

Jameson, William A., Junior 

Old Farms Convalescent Hospital Where Blinded Soldiers “Come 
Back.” 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 38, pages 271-275, number 10, 
December, 1944. 

Johnson, Dallas 

Facts and Tips for Service Men and Women. First Edition. 

New York: The Public Affairs Committe, Incorporated. 1944. 

32 pp. 

Jostes, Frederick A. 

The Navy’s Care of the War Disabled. 

The Crippled Child, volume 22, pages 58-62 and 87-88, number 3, 
October, 1944. (Especially page 61.) 

Kaempffert, Waldemar 

Returning Veterans. Guide for the Families of Men Who Must Be 
Readjusted. 

The New York Times, page E 9, Simday, January 28, 1945. 

Kirk, Norman T. 

The Veterans and the Commimity. “A Great Responsibility Rests on 
the Public.” 

Vital Speeches of the Day, volume 11, pages 62-64, number 2, 
November 1, 1944. 

Lake, Merton M. 

A Program of Rehabilitation. The Barnes School Offers a New Ser¬ 
vice. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 38, pages 14-16, number 1, January, 

1944. (Agricultural school at Henniker, New Hampshire.) 

Lake, Merton M. 

Some Observations on the Problem of Rural Rehabilitation. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 38, pages 221-224, number 8, 

October, 1944. 

Lehman, Ann 

The U. S. E. S. Places the Blind. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 38, pages 276-278, number 10, 
December, 1944. 

Lien, Torger L. 

Can Orientation Be Taught Blind Students? 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 64-67, number 3, March, 

1945. 

Mackenzie, Catherine 

Father’sHome from War. 

The New York Times Magazine, page 33, Sunday, February 4, lt^45. 


47 




Maverick, Maury 

Opportunities - for Veterans. 

The New York Times Magazine, pages 12 and 39, September 30, 1945. 

Merrill, Eleanor Brown, and Smith, Virginia M. 

Prevention of Blindness and Vocational Rehabilitation. 

Journal of Rehabilitation, volume 11, pages 20-23, number 3, 
September, 1945. 

Murphy, Ray 

The Future for the Disabled V^orker. 

The Crippled Child, volume 22, pages 71=72 and 89, number 3, 
October, 1944. (Especially page 71.) 

New Act Stimulates Employment of Handicapped. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, page 207, number 7, September, 
1945. 

Platt, Philip S. 

Postwar Human Reconstruction. Private Agencies Aiding the Blind 
Will Face New Standards and New Challenges When the War Ends. 
Better Times, volume 26, pages 7 and 14, number 20, February 2, 
1945. 

Rehabilitation of the Blind in Army Hospitals. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 37, pages 191-195, number 7, Septem¬ 
ber, 1943. (Directives covering the rehabilitation-program for 
the blind in the United States Army, from the Office of the Sur¬ 
geon General, War Department, Washington, D. 0.) 

Rennie, Thomas A. 0., and Woodward, Luther E. 

When He Comes Back. If He Comes Back Nervous. Two Talks to 
Families of Returning Servicemen. 

New York; Rehabilitation Division. The National Committe for 
Mental Hygiene, Inc. 1944. 32 pp. 

Rusalem, Herbert 

About the Professional Approach to Work for the Blind. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, pages 78=80, number 3, March, 

1945. 

St. Dunstan’s and American War-blinded. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 37, page 82, number 3, March, 1943. 

Salmon, Peter-J. 

The Blind in the War and Postwar World. 

Proceedings of the Twentieth Biennial Convention of the American 
Association of Workers for the Blind, pages 3-6, 1943. 

Soldier’s Return. 

Consumers’ Guide, volume 10, pages 3-5 and 16, number 11, October, 
1944. 

Soutar, Arch 

Home Coming Isn’t Easy. 

The Saturday Evening Post, volume 217, pages 35-36 and 38, number 
25, December 16, 1944. (The viewpoint of a returning soldier.) 


48 


Supa, Michael; Cotzin, Milton;: and Dallenbach, Karl M. 

“Facial Vision”: the Perception of Obstacles by the Blind. 

The American Journal of Psychology, volume 57, pages 133-183, 
number 2, April, 1944. 

Thom, Douglas A. 

War Neuroses. 

New England Journal of Medicine, volume 225, pages 864-867, number 
22, November 27, 1941. (Cautions as to the mode of demobilization.) 

Tynan, M. I. 

I. TheVeterans’ Administration for the Care of Disabled Veterans. 
•II. Organization and Administration of Vocational Rehabilitation 
Service. III. Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind. 

Proceedings of the Twentieth Biennial Convention of the American 
Association of Workers for the Blind, pages 56-64, 1943. 

Weld, Stanley B. 

Old Farms Convalescent Hospital for the Blind Soldier. 

Connecticut State Medical Journal, volume 8,pages 875-877, number 
12, December, 1944. 

Your Rights and Benefits. A Handy Guide for Veterans of the Armed 
Forces and Their Dependents. 

Washington, Retraining and Reemployment Administration. Office 
of War Mobilization.. 1944. 20 pp. 


Miscellaneous 


Cravens, Kathryn 

Helen Keller Pities the Real Unseeing. 

The New York Times Magazine, pages 11 and 20, Sunday, June 23, 
1940. 

Hartwell, Dickson 

Dogs against Darkness. The Story of the Seeing Eye. 

New York: Dodd,Mead & Company. 1942. 236 pp. 

Hayes, Samuel Perkins 

Contributions to a Psychology of Blindness. 

New York: American Foundation for the Blind, Inc. 1941. 296 pp. 
Latimer, Henry Randolph 

Glimpses into the Conquest of Blindness in Pennsylvania. 
Harrisburg, Pa.: The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind. 
1943. 52 pp. 

Lende, Helga 

Directory of Activities for the Blind in the United States and 
Canada Including Prevention of Blindness Crganizations and 
Sight-Saving Classes. Sixth Edition. 

New York: American Foundation for the Blind, Inc. 1945. 150 pp. 
Lowenfeld, Berthold 

Braille and Talking Book Reading: A Comparative Study. 

New York: American Foiindation for the Blind, Inc. 1945. 53 pp. 


49 





May, Charles H. 

Manual of the Diseases of the Eye for Students and General practi¬ 
tioners. Seventeenth Edition, Revised with the Assistance of 
Charles A. Perera, M. D. 

Baltimore; William Wood and Company. 1941. 519 pp. (Especially 
pages 108, 219, 328-341, and 343.) 

Ohnstad, Karsten 

A Challenge. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 43, pages 66-69, number 3, March, 

1943. 

Pisart, (Mrs.) Georgette 

Script Writing for the Blind. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 39, page 20, number 1, January, 

1945. 

Samson, Don, and Samson, Anne 

Report to the Editors. Books that Talk. 

The Saturday Evening Post, volume 217, page 6, number 25, December 
16, 1944. 

Supa, Michael 

Difficulties of the Disabled. 

Outlook for the Blind, volume 38, pages 285-287, number 10, 
December, 1944. 

Weisinger, Mort 

A World at Their Fingertips. 

Coronet, volume 18, pages 16-19, number 6, October, 1945. 


U. s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1946 O < 685482 







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